Tempered by Spiritual Fire
by malciah
Summary: After successfully retrieving Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto is exiled from the leaf village, lost and despondent he comes across the fire temple and begins anew. Seven years later he has a new life with new responsibilities. Problem is, Konoha now wants him back.
1. Escort

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Escort**

**Prologue**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:** Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, the next...who knows?

* * *

"How far to the Suna border Baki-san?" The client asked. The four man squad of Suna ninja had been escorting their client, a representative of the fire daimyo, for a few days, they were lucky he was ninja trained as the journey should have taking weeks. As it was all five of them were running through the trees at a good pace in a basic star formation; the client in the middle with Baki at the rear and the other three ninja, two shinobi and one kunoichi, either side and ahead of the client.

"We are an hour from the border, we'll stop there for a rest before heading into the desert, It can be pretty treacherous terrain during the sandstorm season so I hope you are knowledgeable about the necessary survival techniques?" Baki answered and asked in the same breath. The client smiled warmly before answering.

"Of course I am Baki-san, Go and I did spend most of the last half of our careers travelling back and forth between our daimyos, among other things." The client kicked off a branch and executed a lazy somersault onto the next branch as a show of prowess. "Besides." He went on to add "I have Kazekage-sama's old sensei, his fiancé and two of his jounin elites for protection. What is there out there that any combination of the five of us couldn't survive against?" He asked with a confident smirk. Baki just rolled his eyes.

* * *

The hour's trip to the border went by quietly, only the sounds of the forest, rushing feet and heavy breathing came to the five's ears. They broke for lunch just inside the Tsume no Kuni side of the claw/sand border, resting for a few hours in the scrub land that divided the forests of Fire country with Sand's, it was a mistake that would upset a lot of people.

The first sign of trouble had been when the client had stopped eating his meal and looked back towards the forest, Baki was merely curious. The second sign was when the animals of the scrub land went deathly quiet, Baki and the other ninja became concerned. The third and final sign of trouble was the sudden appearance of two ANBU teams surrounding them, proudly displaying the leaf insignia on their masks, Baki and his team leaped into defensive positions, the client on the other hand, did nothing.

"Stand down Suna ninja." One of the ANBU, obviously the one in charge spoke. "And hand over your charge into our custody." All four sand ninja tensed, ready for action. The client, still, did nothing.

"By the rules of our alliance, you cannot interfere with any mission any Suna shinobi takes, no matter what. So why do you think I will allow you to interfere on this one, especially considering it is of the highest importance to Kazekage-sama?" Baki answered. The eight ANBU, pressed in, the four Suna-nin knew they were no match in this line-up, should it come to a fight. Once again, the client didn't react, didn't move and didn't make any sign he was aware of the confrontation going on around him and over him.

"The Hokage has ordered us to take him in to stand before the elder council of Konoha and we will follow that order, alliance or no." The team leader replied. The client tensed as he felt the build up of chakra on both sides before finally doing something.

"Baki-san." He said quietly and calmly, but still heard by all. "Head back to Suna and inform the Kazekage of this predicament." Baki and his team were taken aback.

"Our orders were to escort you to Suna and that is what we'll do, you may be our client but we do not take orders from you." Baki answered, the edge of annoyance in his voice.

"I know, but if it will stop any altercations that may endanger the already fragile alliance between Suna and Konoha then it is what must be done." The client stood up and shouldered his pack, making sure the Konoha ANBU could see he was armed, with the intention of staying armed, with a long knife that was strapped horizontally across the rear of his belt. He shifted the metal gauntlets he wore into a more comfortable position and then turned to Baki. "What are you still doing here?" he asked.

"My orders from the Kazekage were clear: To stay by your side until you walked through Kazekage-sama's office door, and I don't intend to disobey him." The old Suna ninja replied. The client sighed wearily but nodded his acceptance.

"Very well, Matsuri-san, take your two subordinates and inform the Kazekage." He told the kunoichi of the group. Matsuri tried to object.

"Nami---" She faltered when she saw his sharp gaze. "Very well. Una, Masi. Come." she ordered and the three nin disappeared from sight. The ANBU waited a moment before pushing in on Baki's client.

"Hand over your weapons, now." the ANBU captain barked. The client looked towards his escort.

"Come, Baki-san, it will be a few hours journey to the edges of Konoha's borders and I want to be within sight of The village's walls by nightfall." with that said he turned and began running for the forest, Baki right beside as he was ordered. The ANBU watched for a few moments, unsure of what to do before finally giving up and catching up to the pair and surrounding them closely. They made the journey in complete silence.

* * *

The group stopped when they were within sight of Konoha's gates, more specifically Baki and hiss client stopped and the ANBU reacted a split second later. The Client detached the ten-inch long Bowie knife and it's sheath from his belt and handed it to Baki then leant down to undo the straps that held his shuriken pouch onto his right leg. "Would you please look after these Baki-san? I do not want to walk these streets, giving off the wrong impression after all." He asked as he handed the pouch over, Baki nodded as he got the underlying meaning.

"Are you sure? You will be defenceless if anything goes wrong." He warned his client. The client smiled.

"Just because I do not carry any weapons does not mean I'm not able to defend myself, after all, I regard myself to be the epitome of Shinobi Rule seven." Baki nodded and the ANBU looked at each other nervously, they knew rule seven. _No matter if a shinobi wields katana, kunai or shuriken, he/she must always remember that _they_ are the weapon. _With that over with the client once more walked towards Konoha's gates.

* * *

Everywhere the group walked, the busy night-life of Konoha stopped and stared, some looked with shock, others with worry but the greatest emotions on view were anger and fear. While Baki glanced around nervously, mentally planning out the excuse he would have to give to the Kazekage about why his charge was killed in an 'allied' village and not liking the results, the client stared ahead, seemingly oblivious of the goings on around him. This state of affairs continued until they reached the Council chambers, the doors were immediately opened upon their arrival, it was obvious that they were expected. Baki's charge told him to stay at the sidelines, he had tried to protest but one look into the clients ice blue eye's told him to relent, and he did. The client continued into the centre of the floor and sat down into the only seat placed there and faced the council, looking between to of the councillors in the second row, directly ahead of him and then keeping his stare there. The council stared at the client, unsure what to make of his silence, they were expecting fear and, most likely, anger at his forced presence before the council, but from the man, nothing.

The Hokage shifted in her seat and quietly cleared her throat, getting ready to speak.

"You are a hard man to find." she said, the client didn't reply. "So, what do you have to say for yourself?" She asked, sounding like a lecturing mother. Again, no reply. "You were expected to report back from your exile four years ago." she went on, the anger in her voice becoming apparent. "So explain yourself, where do you get off disobeying an order from your Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto?" She demanded. Uzumaki Naruto, exile and pariah of Konoha, said nothing. "Very well, if you will not speak then I will have to incarcerate you until you do decide to speak. ANBU!" With that, Uzumaki Naruto got up and left in the company of Baki and half the squad that retrieved him. It wasn't until they were outside the tower and on their way to the ANBU headquarters that Naruto spoke.

"Find yourself a room for the night, Baki-san, I'm sure everything will be sorted out soon." The ANBU, a little confused that they were following their prisoner, decided to take charge and grabbed Naruto, pulling him towards the doors of the ANBU building. Baki stopped and watched as his client, Uzumaki Naruto was forced through the doors of the building and presumably down to what ever levels the holding cells were on. _This is getting strange, why would the Hokage have her ANBU drag the boy back? It was by her order that he was banished in the first place._

Despite the dank look of his current abode, Naruto smiled. If there was one thing that had survived from his youth it was his love of playing with people's heads. While he had been manhandled through the main doors, he had led the rest of the way, right down to his cell, they were confused, he had willingly walked through the cell door and then knelt directly in the centre of the cell when the ANBU usually had to literally drag the prisoners in.

Naruto's smile widened, he had managed to annoy not only the ANBU, but the Hokage also, and all without breaking the bitch's stupid little exile clauses too.

* * *

"I don't get it Shizune." Tsunade confided to her first apprentice once they were back in her office. "I thought he would be happy to be back but he hasn't said a word. And why didn't he return when he was supposed to? The exile order was only for three years, enough time to calm the populace down and for the brat to get his head in order and learn to properly control the bijuu's chakra." She went on. "What was he doing for seven years?" Shizune didn't answer her mentor, she didn't really know what she should say to help. She had never agreed with Tsunade's decision to exile Naruto and surprisingly a number of the shinobi members of the council had opposed her too, unfortunately Tsunade, in a rare show of politacal nuance with a hint of malicious crowd baiting, had convinced enough of the council to temporarily exile the jinchuuriki and as an added bonus, in their eye's, she had rescinded the Third's law that kept Naruto's status secret, the results to that had been, in Shizune's view, catastrophic; all but one of the people Naruto considered friends had turned on him, the only one who didn't was Shikamaru and that's because he already knew. How, Shizune didn't know, but he had voiced his concern at Naruto's well-being when the whole of the remaining ninja his age had been told of his tenant and then of his banishing, that hadn't gone well with the rest of the group.

Shizune was knocked out of her reverie by a knock on the door, Tsunade bade the person to enter. The door opened to reveal the Suna-nin that had been accompanying the Uzumaki when he had entered the council chambers.

"Good evening Baki-san, what can I do for you?" Tsunade asked politely while pointing to an empty chair to sit down in. He did so before speaking.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for seeing me on such short notice." He started. Tsunade smiled slightly.

"Not at all Baki-san, I always have time to talk with Konoha's allies." She answered, her smile faltered slightly when she noticed the hard look in Baki's eyes.

"It is debatable whether we can be considered allies Hokage-sama, and that, among other things, is what I'm here to discuss." He said. "By your order, eight ANBU operatives ambushed and surrounded my Jounin team and my client. We were threatened with violence unless we handed over our charge, now, correct me if I'm wrong Hokage-_sama_ but did you not _personally_ put the clause into our last alliance agreement which stated that no allied village can interfere or _sabotage_ a mission that was taken by the other allied villages _no matter the circumstances_?" He asked angrily. "My team and I were ordered to get Uzumaki Naruto to Suna by no later than midnight tonight and this little detour has cost me, as well as others quiet a lot." He added.

"If it is about money I'm sure we can come to some arrangement." Tsunade countered, while the Sand village wasn't up to Konoha's strength it was still considered to be a valuable ally to the Leaf village. Baki replied with a humourless laugh.

"This is not about money, I as well as the other three Jounin did this mission for free, the benefits went beyond our fiscal position." He said. Tsunade's brow creased into a frown.

"How so?" She didn't like where this was going.

"That is not for me to speak of, only those directly involved can." He answered cryptically. "But sufficed to say, your orders this afternoon will bring a lot of flak down upon Konoha. The Kazekage dislikes it when his shinobi are obstructed in their duty, especially when it concerns a _close_ friend such as Naruto-san."

"How often has Naruto visited Suna?" Tsunade asked, trying to piece together Naruto's hitherto unknown actions for the last seen years.

"He first entered Suna four years ago and he's been back at least once a fortnight, but that increased in the last year to almost every week." He answered.

"Oh? Why is that?" She asked.

"That is a personal matter. But sufficed to say, it is connected with why Naruto-san should have been in the Sand village by midnight." He answered, once again, cryptically. "Though I am surprised he relented when we were ambushed." He added. Tsunade let a small smile grace her features.

"Maybe he wanted to come home?" She offered, Baki's face darkened.

"Naruto hasn't considered Konoha home since the day _you_ called for his exile, in fact, I would be surprised if he wasn't halfway to Suna now." He said.

"And how would he get out of a prison cell with chakra depleting seals inscribed into the walls?" Tsunade asked him, anger and a little panic making it's way through her tone of voice.

"Don't you know anything of what Naruto has been doing these last seven years?" He asked, sighing when the Hokage shook her head. "Naruto spent three years training with the monks of the fire temple, and still does when he has time. He is considered to be their best pupil." He told her. "And from what I understand, both Jiriaya-sama and your Yondaime both trained in seals there..." He added. He watched the recognition scroll across her face.

"ANBU!" she Yelled, immediately the room had for black-clad bodies added to it. "Guard over Uzumaki Naruto." They disappeared once more when she finished her order.

"That won't help." Baki murmured. Tsunade glanced his way once again.

"Those four are my best ANBU unit, One boy won't faze them." She huffed angrily. Baki mouth widened into a smug grin.

"You really don't have any idea who you've incarcerated, do you?" He said, obviously enjoying every minute, he leaned forward. "Are you using the new chakra depleting seals that were created around four months ago? The ones that convert a convicts chakra into electricity for use as a power source?" He asked, Tsunade didn't reply but he knew she had been. "Would you like to know who created that particular fuinjutsu?" He caught the look on her face as the dots connected, right before the power to the Hokage tower cut out.

* * *

Naruto looked at the seal that was inscribed into the smooth steel plate on the north wall, _oh _so familiar as it was. The story behind the seal wasn't as dramatic as the creation of the _Shiki Fujin_, created as a means to stop the rampaging force of nature known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune and nor was it as noble as the array of medical seals used to keep patients asleep and as protection against infection during surgery, there was even a little known one that kept hospital rooms sterile from any form of disease.

The story behind the seal was simple; his employer had an energy crisis and an over populated prison, Naruto had simply found a way to put the two together. The seals function was twofold: drain excess chakra from incarcerated persons, leaving enough for them to live. Secondly it turned that chakra into electricity and siphoned it of via a mass of wire into two battery-like generators that not only powered the prison but his employer's home and half of her city, they were working on a second prison to deal with the overflow of the convicted to supply the other half of the city. Naruto had always considered himself a generous person and had freely given (After permission from his employer, she was paying for the research as well as the jutsu after all) the seal to the Daimyo of Wind and the Kazekage to use in their prisons, even finding a way to convert the seal to convert chakra into the water element; the water wouldn't be drink worthy, as it would technically be a chakra attack on a persons organs and chakra network, but as a means of watering the plants in Suna's hydroponic building, it was useful.

How Konoha came about the seal was a little controversial, in reality they shouldn't even have it. Tsunade, on a visit to Naruto's employer, had noticed that some of the city's power stations were being dismantled and had asked about the reasoning for this, Naruto's employer, being a very open person, told the Hokage of the conversion seal. The Hokage, seeing the benefits, asked for the seal and was promptly denied. Not liking this, Tsunade ordered two of her ninja to steal the scroll that was undoubtedly in the city's archives somewhere. By some weird twist of fate the two ninja were the remaining active members of team Seven.

Naruto stood up after his little trip down memory lane and bit into his thumb, causing it to bleed, and traced his blood smeared thumb across the seal and then adding a few more symbols to it. The seal, when it is working, insures that any excess chakra in the room and it's occupants was drained, so in the case of a ninja, they couldn't use a jutsu to escape. There was just one problem, Naruto, he created the seal and what self-respecting seal-specialist wouldn't protect himself from his own jutsu?

Once his blood had filled the inscription he wiped his thumb over it in a large diagonal line, seconds later the light in the building shut down, quickly followed by the rest of Konoha. Naruto smiled in the darkness, he'd show that old withered hag not to fuck with him.

His right arm glowed as the seals tattooed upon it began to glow as they began to store the chakra being drained from the other inhabitants of the prison. He may not like Konoha much nowadays but he wasn't so malicious that he would allow it's criminals to roam free.


	2. Collect Call

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Collect Call**

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:** Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, the next...who knows?

**Author's Notes:** First of all I want to thank everyone that reviewed, placed me on story alerts, author alerts, story favourites and author favourites, it's been a nice warm reception and again I thank you.

Secondly I would like to point out that if you find something I've written, in particular the geography of the Naruto-verse, to be wrong, challenge me on it. I may reply and tell you I meant to do it that way, or I'll thank you for pointing out my glaring mistake, which is probably more likely.

I know that this story scenario has been done to death and has been done excellently, _the Golden Fox_ is an obvious example and badly, of which I won't mention any examples. (I hope to be in the former category.) This story is my first Naruto fanfic and a sort of tester to see how I would do, I plan on writing a couple more including an AU (Yondaime still alive) and a slightly off canon one with Naruto having a dojutsu Kekkai Genkai (I hope I spelt this right). So watch out for those next year.

* * *

_**Previously:**__ Naruto is waylaid by two squads of ANBU while he is being escorted to Suna for an unknown reason, taken to Konoha he is brought before the Elder council and subsequently placed in a chakra draining cell when he refuses to speak. Tsunade learned a bit about what Naruto has been doing since his seven year exile, finding out to her dismay that Naruto is a Seal specialist and that he created the seals keeping her prisoners docile and her village in electrical power, now Naruto has changed the seal and cut the power to all of Konoha..._

_

* * *

  
_

Tsunade, along with a squad of her ANBU for protection, made a beeline straight for the ANBU headquarters where the reason for her current problem resided, Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde haired jinchuuriki had somehow cut power to her village and she was going to get him to fix it, one way or another. She stopped on the HQ roof and was quickly joined by her ANBU, Baki and a squad of chunin she had despatched to find out the full effect of the power cut.

"Report." she barked to the chunin.

"All power is down except to this building and the hospital." The lead chunin answered.

"Your thoughts on this Shikamaru?" she asked the chunin leader.

"I would say this was an act of revenge without endangering the lives of the village." Shikamaru answered. "Naruto doesn't want those that are incarcerated here to break free and nor does he want anyone dying on the surgery table." He added by way of an explanation. Tsunade gave the Nara a questioning look.

"How did you know that it was Naruto?" she asked. Shikamaru stopped himself from rolling his eyes, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of the Hokage's already mounting temper.

"Everyone knows that you dragged him back to the village and everyone knows you had him thrown in here." He started, he stepped out of here reach before continuing. "And I know how good Naruto is with seals." Everyone except Baki gave Shikamaru a surprised/angry look.

"You knew Naruto was a seal expert and didn't give your Hokage this information?" Tsunade asked, her anger seeping through. "What else have you kept hidden concerning Naruto? How _do_ you know this?" She asked.

"You've never asked me to relay any information regarding Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-sama and what I know is very little." He answered while once again taking another step back, just to be sure. "I came across this information while talking with...acquaintances." Tsunade caught the pause but not the shaking of Baki's head behind her, telling the Nara to keep what he was about to say quiet. "I have not spoken to nor seen Naruto since the Uchiha retrieval mission Hokage-sama." He added, making sure she didn't misunderstand him on the matter at hand. Tsunade gave the lazy genius a calculating look.

"Did you know that Naruto created the seal we are currently using within the prison?" she asked, when Tsunade had had Team Seven, or what was left of it, steal the seal she had classified it as 'for the council's eyes only' and had them replace the old ones in secret so no one would know how she had come about the new seal, especially the woman she had them stolen from. Shikamaru shook his head.

"I don't see how one of Naruto's seals could have made it's way into Konoha unless..." He quickly figured out how it had got into Konoha and gave his leader a questioning look. "I only know of Naruto's sealing ability because the last time I was in Suna I saw one of them and inquired about it." He went on. "He does good work." he pointed out. Baki, deciding to add his own opinion, approached Tsunade before speaking.

"If I may, Hokage-sama, I don't think he is doing this as some sort of revenge." He said to her, causing the irate village leader to turn on him.

"So what _is_ he doing?" She asked through clenched teeth, what should have been a simple retrieval had turned into a farce and was quickly blowing up in her face.

"Uzumaki-san knows a few fuinjutsu that requires a lot of chakra, much more than he himself can make." He told her.

"What are these jutsu?" She asked, suddenly worried, _Does Naruto hate us enough to destroy us?_ She asked herself.

"I don't know." Baki answered. "Naruto-san has never done anything beyond hint at them." Tsunade took a few seconds to think before giving her orders.

"Shikamaru, you and your team are to vacate the area, ANBU, with me." She said before jumping off the side of the building and running inside, followed, obediently by the ANBU and soon after by Baki.

* * *

Taking the chakra from the seal on the wall he drew another set of seals on the floor with the blood still weeping from his thumb, after a few minutes and satisfied he had the seal combination correct he pushed all the chakra from the seals on his arm into the activation seal in the centre of the array. He kept pumping chakra into the seal until it started to push back, a sure sign that the seal was fully activated, and then redirected the unused chakra to create a barrier over the cell door, he didn't want any interruptions after all.

The blood red symbols slowly began to glow with a dull yellow and lazily spin around the activation seal at it's centre, once the spinning symbols were up to speed a ball of chakra raised up to the height of Naruto's shoulder and expanded to the size of his torso. Slowly, the ball flattened and cleared until it looked like a mirror, except instead of seeing his reflection, Naruto could see a room. The room on the other side of the looking glass was white in colour with an ornate bed in easy view and a dress just in the edges of his vision, at the desk in a pale lavender nightgown sat the person he wanted to speak to.

"Temari-hime." He said quietly, Temari jumped and whirled around to face him.

"Naruto!?" she exclaimed. "What happened?" She asked "Matsuri arrived an hour ago claiming you had been captured, what happened?" She asked again.

"The Hokage had her ANBU forcefully return me to the village, I am currently in one of their cells." He answered her, a soft smile on his features.

"Matsuri didn't look wounded or anything when I saw her, why didn't she defend you?" Temari asked, curiously, before a look of horror passed her features. "What happened to Baki-sensei?" she asked further.

"Baki is perfectly fine and should be sleeping if he has any sense. Matsuri didn't fight the ANBU because I told her not to, I gave myself up." Even though he was miles away and safe behind the chakra glass, he cringed when Temari's furious scowl was directed his way.

"You gave yourself up?" She asked quietly. "You do realise _why_ tomorrow was so important to me, don't you?" She asked menacingly. Naruto felt guilty.

"It's the day that your mother was born." He answered.

"Partly." she answered. "But it's also the last time I'll be home for at least a year Naruto and I wanted to spend it as your wife, for at least a day I wanted to live with you as Namikaze Temari." She added softly. Naruto caught the regret and sorrow as she spoke because he felt it too.

"Maybe if we talk to Gaara..." He started before Temari slowly shook her head.

"This mission is too important Naruto." She said. "You knew the plan, you arrive, we get married and spend one day as husband and wife before I leave and you move on with your trip for another year." She stood up and faced him, playing with the engagement ring he had had made for her a year ago. He watched silently as she slowly took it off and placed it on the dresser.

"The wedding is off Naruto. And don't bother trying to track me down, I'll be deep undercover by this afternoon." She said with finality. Naruto felt crushed as he watched his fiancé dump him. Naruto closed his eyes and began a light focusing technique.

"Is there no way to get you to reconsider?" He asked politely, already disassociating his emotions to his lover. Temari turned her back to him so he couldn't see his face as she answered.

"No Naruto, there isn't." Naruto opened his eyes and watched Temari for a moment.

"Very well. Good luck with your mission Temari-sama and live well." he said softly before he cancelled the jutsu before she could reply and returned to a kneeling position and began to meditate on his options.

* * *

"I still love you Naruto but the village has to come first, you understand that don't you?" Temari asked him, unaware that he couldn't hear her. "Naruto? Naruto-kun?" She turned around to find that Naruto had deactivated the looking glass jutsu. First anger ran through her, anger at him just cutting her off like that, then worry blunted the anger, worry that he wouldn't want her after this. The worry that he would find someone else was part of the reason she had agreed to marry him in the first place, Naruto would honour their love and remain completely loyal to her. But if he thought that she no longer wanted him...She shook the thoughts out of her head, she had a vital mission to carry out and the village, as always, had to come first.

* * *

the scene before Tsunade was one she wasn't expecting; her ANBU, the chunin guard and the civilian janitor were all watching through the open doorway through to Naruto's cell. Tsunade could clearly see the chunin's surprise and feel the ANBU's mostly concealed nervousness.

"What in the hell are you doing standing out here for, get in there and stop him." Tsunade ordered, The ANBU captain turned to her and bowed.

"Forgive me Hokage-sama but we can't." He answered and motioned towards the open doorway. Tsunade instantly recognised a chakra barrier and understood the problem. She stood in the doorway and looked inside where Naruto was kneeling on the floor and fluctuating his chakra, she was about to ask the chunin what was so amazing about this exorcize when a flash of fire emerged from nowhere and just as quickly disappeared, that was soon followed by a small bolt of lightning emerging from Naruto's fingertips and earthing itself in the floor.

While Tsunade would never admit it to anyone, she hadn't really paid much attention in the council meeting that Naruto had been forced to attend and didn't really look the boy-now-man over but she was doing so now and the the only recognisable features were all from the neck up: The most obvious change was Naruto's growth, he had grown by another foot and a half and lost the last of his baby fat. The second was his clothes, there was not a hint of orange anywhere, he was wearing something more suitable for the desert environment of Suna, not really surprising since that was his intended destination, on his feet were basic sandals and on his arms were a curious design of gauntlet. The forearms were protected by and intricately designed metal coverings but his hands were only covered by cloth gloves. The final obvious change that she could see was his hairstyle; closely shaven except for a braided rat's tail that ended at the base of his neck, a style she found somewhat familiar.

She waited a moment as Naruto produced water from nothing and let it splash on the stones before raising her fist and slamming it against the barrier.

"Release this barrier Uzumaki and return the power back to Konoha." She screamed at him. "Or you _will_ suffer the consequences." Naruto made no sign that he had heard her but stood up and walked to the seal on the wall and reactivated it, he'd only needed the extra chakra to speak to Temari anyway...and to piss off the Hokage and the village but they had just been side benefits...really. He knelt back down in the centre of the cell once more and resumed his chakra manipulation once more.

"You won't get anything else out of him Hokage-sama, so don't bother trying." Baki told her, he'd arrived silently on the scene.

"I figured that but what am I supposed to do with him now?" Tsunade asked, eyeing the now waning barrier. "I can't leave him in this cell if he can literally hold the village to ransom." She mused, more to herself than anyone else.

"How about letting him go?" Baki offered. "He has an appointment to keep." He added. The chakra barrier finally shut off and the ANBU prepared to rush in and subdue Naruto, they never got a chance.

"There's no need Baki-san, the...appointment was cancelled." Naruto answered from behind Baki. "I trust you took the usual suite Suna dignitaries use?" He asked his escort as the Konoha-nin wondered how Naruto had moved so fast, only Tsunade had felt his chakra signature move.

"Yes I have, Naruto-san." Baki answered, without a reply Naruto headed up the stairs, the ANBU again prepared to stop them but Tsunade held them back.

"He's already made his intent to stay, for now at least, just keep watch over the hotel room and make sure he doesn't do anything...foolish." She ordered. The ANBU were gone within a second.

"Poor boy." Baki mused. "He must be crushed." Tsunade gave him an inquisitive side-long glance.

"Oh? Why is that." She asked. Baki wondered how much he should say. The wedding was supposed to be kept secret from Konoha for fear of reprisal but since it was no longer going ahead, did that cancel the order or not? _Discretion_ Baki thought _is the best course of action for now._

"That." He answered, "Is not my place to say." He paused for a moment before bowing his head to the village leader. "By your leave. Hokage-sama." Tsunade watched the old Suna-nin leave in the wake of one of her ex-(hopefully once again)Shinobi and wondered just what had happened, and how exactly did Naruto know that the appointment, whatever it was, was cancelled? According to Jaraiya Naruto had cancelled his contract with the Toad Summons the same day he left the village and there had been no news of Naruto taking up another Summon contract, something that the Toads would have picked up on since they were bonded to him via blood sacrifice.

_If it wasn't a Summon then it was a jutsu, one that takes an enormous amount of power_ She thought before a more poisonous thought crept through her mind _When the council hears about the events tonight and the possibility of powerful techniques in their midst, they'll either demand Naruto's head or his knowledge, and I have a feeling he won't part with either._

_

* * *

  
_

Three days had passed since Naruto had literally sucked the power out of Konoha and he hadn't moved from the hotel suite and, according to Baki who talked regularly with the Hokage, had spent most of the time meditating. Tsunade had given him some time to come to terms with whatever had happened but today she had decided that enough was enough and had him dragged back to the council chambers, and he was going to talk or she was going to smash his jaw into fragments, either worked for her.

Uzumaki Naruto, You are being given one last chance to justify your actions over the last four years, speak, or we will have to have you interrogated." Tsunade ordered. Naruto had taken the seat he had on his last visit and had assumed the same pose and attitude.

After a few moments he slowly turned his head and spoke directly yo the Hokage.

"You are ordering me to speak to you?" He asked, all emotion erased from his voice, it put those that remembered how he use to speak on edge. Tsunade nodded her assent and waited for him to continue. "You are ordering me to speak to Konoha-nin?" He asked, again she nodded. "Then you have forcibly sentenced me to death." He added. Confusion spread around the room but before the question could be asked, Naruto moved his left hand into shirt, several ANBU tensed at the action, and produced a grey cloth scroll, one that Tsunade instantly recognised as the one holding the clauses of his exile. Naruto tossed it lazily to the Hokage and settled in to watch the fireworks.

Tsunade quickly opened the scroll and quickly scanned it, not getting to far before she stopped and stared straight at the exiled nin.

"This is a fake Naruto." She told him, instead of the expected emotions; relief, regret, anger, etc. She got nothing but a cold hard stare.

"Are there twelve signatures at the bottom of the page comprising of council members, the two Elders and the signature of the Hokage?" He half asked, half stated. She opened the scroll fully and saw twelve familiar signatures. "And is there not also the seal of the hokage which makes the document legal and binding? Which was not only witnessed by me but also your first apprentice?" He asked, again she found it was true. "Then it is not a fake." Tsunade remembered stamping the exile clause document, she was so angry with Naruto's actions in the Uchiha retrieval that she stamped it as she chewed him out, he had even taking the time to read it and then asked if the document was the real deal, her answer had been short: Yes, get out.

"There is still a mistake Naruto, the council and I didn't agree to these clauses, someone switched them." That was partly true, each and every clause in the document had come up as ideas but most were shot down as they impacted Konoha negatively as well as Naruto.

"Are you accusing your own council of subversion?" Naruto asked, shouts of outrage circled the council chambers.

"No, Uzumaki, I'm not." Tsunade answered firmly.

"Then you accuse Shizune-san then." Naruto countered in an emotionless yet conversational tone.

"No." The Hokage answered.

"Then no one had a chance to change the document then." He summed up. "And you are now trying to say anything to appease me." Tsunade shook her head.

"No we didn't Naruto, We only agreed to a few of these clauses; 'you were not allowed within five hundred yards of Konoha or Konoha territories, You were not allowed to work for any other ninja village and you were not allowed to attack any leaf-nin.' These other clauses were added by a third party." Tsunade argued. Naruto looked around the room and then stared Tsunade straight in the eye before answering her.

"I know." Tsunade raised her eyebrow in confusion.

"Then why follow them?" She asked.

"Because the second you slammed that seal onto the parchment it didn't matter who put what in it, it was legally binding and it was what the person who did this wanted." Tsunade handed the scroll to one of her advisers and allowed the document to circle the room. The Exile clauses weren't anything complicated, it was merely a piece of paper that stated what the exiled could or more importantly couldn't do during there exile, it was different from ninja to ninja.

"And if I were to abolish the clauses on this document?" Tsunade asked, both hopeful and fearful of his answer.

"I still wouldn't work for you." Naruto answered without fear, despite the fact that, in the council's eye's at least, he had just committed treason.

"And why not?" Tsunade asked angrily. "You would be accepted into the village again, able to work as a ninja again, able to work towards the Hokage title again." She added. Naruto stood up and faced the Hokage completely.

"Because I was never fully accepted in this village in the first place." He pulled the gloves from his hand and raised them for the Hokage to see, over the first knuckles of his fore- and index-finger were seals, one Tsunade recognised with a wince, the councillor who was currently reading the exile scroll, one Inoichi Yamanaka, scanned down until he came to clause four. _The Exiled is banned from practising and using Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, to insure this rule is enforced the Exiled will report to ANBU headquarters to receive seals placed upon him so that any attempt to make hand seals will be met with painful force._ Inoichi remembered the last time it was used and when the nin tried to form the ram seal, his two fingers broke. "Because." Naruto continued "I can't _be_ a ninja, because I don't _want_ to be the leader of feckless, selfish, vain, people so wrapped up in their own little power games that they refuse to see reason." A few questioning thoughts crept into the Hokage's mind _what's going on that we don't know about?_ She thought. "And finally, Hokage-_sama_." Naruto spat. "I just couldn't bring myself to work for a leader who can't even be bothered to read her own paperwork. But more importantly, I'm already working for someone." He smirked.

"Who?" Tsunade demanded. As if on cue the council doors were pushed open quickly and three people entered. The middle figure was a young woman of regal bearing and carried herself as such, long flowing black hair complimented her pale skin as did her formal blue robes, the two on the outside were definitely the middle one's subordinates. Naruto turned and upon seeing the female in the middle of two armoured bodyguards instantly went down onto one knee and bowed his head in respect.

"Daimyo-sama." He said by way of greeting. Tsunade's heart leapt into her throat, Naruto was working for the daimyo of Hi no Kuni, he had been within twelve hours fast travel of Konoha for at least four years. He had been under her nose all that time. For a moment no-one spoke. Then the daimyo smiled warmly at the kneeling blonde.

"What trouble have you gotten into now, Namikaze?" She asked. The council chambers exploded into an uproar of voices.


	3. Reunion

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Reunion**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:** Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, the next...who knows?

**Author's Notes:** Wow! The last chapter had a hell of reply from you guys. The two main points of contention seem to be Tsunade's attitude and how she handled Naruto's banishing, i.e. causing it. I'll try to defend my portrayal of her now:

Tsunade has always seemed to be a bit hot headed to me, very quick to temper. And people who are very quick to anger don't usually need much to trigger it. The reason for Naruto's banishment (Explained in the next chapter) was the last straw and she decided to solve the problem, the problem with powerful emotions is that you don't tend to think straight and then after the fact you either own up to the mistake you made (In this case, exiling Naruto.) or you make excuses, like Tsunade did. As for Tsunade's OOCness, there's no ironclad evidence that she doesn't think of Naruto as family, families fight, fall out with each other (sometimes for years on end) but also find some way to reconnect (some times, anyway). Whether this happens in this fic is still to be determined, well by you guys anyway, I already know (I have to, I'm writing it after all).

Beyond that is the fact that Tsunade can't be seen to be favouring any one of her subjects. If she's too lenient on Naruto at any time then there would be calls for change in any number of degrees (Even Tyrants have to keep _some_ people happy).

And if _that_ doesn't work, I claim/hide behind artistic licence

A few people are already asking me to update soon, I _really_ appreciate the sentiment but I can't promise when updates will come, I suck at deadlines, but three days is currently my record (This fic, incidentally) and I'll try to keep to that sort of time frame, but no promises.

* * *

_**Previously:**__ Naruto, after being incarcerated, used the excess power from the chakra draining seal to contact his fiancée, Subaku no Temari and was told that the wedding was cancelled. After a few days he is pulled before the council once more and, for the first time since his arrival, speaks to a Konoha resident. He reveals that not only was he banished and bound within severely limiting clauses but that he was also restricted from using Nin- and Gen-jutsu which was enforced through pain inducing seals. He refused to rejoin Konoha, even if the exile was lifted, because he was already working for someone, later revealed to be Fire country's own Daimyo. To add insult to injury, it is also reveal to an ignorant council that Naruto is related to the Fourth Hokage._

_

* * *

  
_

Naruto sat in the middle of the serene garden, soaking up the peaceful atmosphere, a part of him, the cynical part, told him he was still in the council chambers exactly ten seconds after his employer, the Fire Lord (technically Lady, but he would never say that to her face...again.) had let slip that his last name was Namikaze, not Uzumaki. The garden was an exact replica of the one in the Wind temple, he had gone there after his three years of training in the Fire temple, he and one other, and most of his time had been spent training in this garden.

He came here when he needed to focus and now he needed to. His true family name was out, shortly he would probably have to say how he knew and why the daimyo knew and what exactly his professional relation to the country's ruler was. He would defer those to the daimyo, hoping that she dismissed him at the earliest opportunity. If things went as they usually did when the Daimyo and Hokage spoke then the council meeting would be delayed for a later time and the daimyo would go with the Hokage back to her office. If she let him go, Naruto decided he would see how much his old home had changed.

Naruto frowned for a second, remembering the talk with Temari, should he track her down and make her see reason or leave things as they were and hope that something magically sorted it all out?

_"Naruto?"_ Naruto instantly refocused himself out of his inner safety zone and back into his conscious state.

"Yes _Daimyo-Sama_?" He asked stressing the title as much as he could, upon seeing the women wince slightly he figured he was laying it on a bit thick, he just wanted Tsunade to realise just how out of her reach he was. In reality he called the Daimyo by her first name, Shizuke, or even by several pet names he had thought up during their first year together. There was a pause as Naruto stared his employer directly in the eye and tried to convey what he wanted and was rewarded with a slight nod, she understood.

"Naruto-san, I need to speak to the Hokage alone, you are to go amuse yourself for a few hours before seeing me at my private residence, understood?" Shizuke ordered, secretly relishing the fact that she could order him around now without his bellyaching, at least for the time being.

"Hai Daimyo-sama." Naruto got off of his knees and bowed his leave to the Daimyo and nodded to the two Fire Guardians at her side before walking out of the still thunderous council chamber. It would be a good few minutes before any of the Konoha residence knew he was gone.

* * *

It hadn't changed, that observation saddened Naruto, Konoha hadn't changed in the slightest; the building designs were exactly the same(baring the newer little boxes under the eaves that were used to assimilate the new power supply), the shops were the same, the people, the noise, the smell and sights. All the same. _No wait_ He thought pausing and looking up at the Hokage mountain _the old hags face is up there_. So one thing so far had changed.

Naruto had covered his head in a heavy tan cloth scarf to hide his features, all that could be seen now was a shadow inside a cowl and shoulder length cloak. As such there were no evil glares or even the cold indifference that had been more prevalent in his childhood but he was under no illusions, if the villagers could see his face they would be giving him the 'evils' on a constant basis.

In his wanderings Naruto came across training ground seven, maybe it was his body on autopilot or maybe some sort of divine guidance, he didn't know and he definitely didn't like it as he saw two people sparring in the grounds, he continued wandering passed the training ground, watching the two sparring ninja. The last time he had saw those two they had thought they had got away with stealing his chakra seal, he had, instead of stopping them, watched them as they went about finding it in the archives. He knew he should have raised the alarm, his employer had paid him an exorbitant amount of money for the seal and was considered the sole owner but the thought of having an escape plan should the leaf ever target him had held him back. He watched as Sakura demolished the training ground with a clenched fist, he felt the shock wave where he was standing, a good hundred feet away., before jumping back from Kakashi's axe kick. The spar continued like that for a good minute before Naruto decided to move on before he aroused the jounin's suspicion.

* * *

"That was a good workout Sakura, take the rest of the day off and I'll see you in the morning, oh-six-hundred sharp." Kakashi told his subordinate before disappearing in a whirl of leaves. _More like nine._ She thought and began to warm down. She bent over and stretched her calves, twisting to her left and then her right to work out the kinks. She stopped as she caught movement out of the corner of her peripheral vision and stood up to see what it was. She saw a male figure in Suna style garb walking calmly away from the training ground and onwards towards the other grounds, curious as to why what appeared to be a Suna-nin would be walking around the grounds alone, she followed him.

* * *

Naruto took in everything he could as he wandered passed the various training grounds, catching blurred figures as ninja moved about and trained, he knew he was the focus of some of the jounin's and chunin's attention but luckily they took in his attire and almost correctly placed him as a monk of the Wind temple.

The problem was that there were two chakra signatures following him, one directly behind and one parallel to his heading. He detoured straight through the forest, losing the trailing chakra signature completely, the one running parallel to him remained close by, he wasn't going to shake it unless he used an enormous amount of his own chakra, and in this village that would be a death sentence.

Naruto stopped at the edge of a lake, training ground thirty-one according to the sign he had passed, and slowly took off his hood, gently folded it onto the sand beside him and then knelt down to meditate, it wasn't the wind temple gardens but it was a nice calm place. He closed his eyes and allowed hi chakra to flow into the patch of sand in front of him. Slowly a few grains of sand shifted together, followed by more and more until a small mound had mysteriously sprung up on it's own, Naruto brought his hands together, palm-to-palm, having to fight the seven-year-old urge to place them in a ram hand-seal, and then held them above the pile of sand and let his chakra flow and mould into a direct beam of heat. Slowly but surely the sand began to slowly melt and knit together, aided by Naruto moving his hands slightly to redirect the beam of superheated chakra.

"Nature is a wonderful thing." Naruto mused. "Wouldn't you agree Hatake-san?" He added without turning around. Kakashi, who had been following the blonde since he had caught sight of him at the training ground, hid his surprise at his exiled students actions and words behind his book.

"It certainly has a way of surprising people." He conjectured. There was a pregnant pause before Kakashi continued speaking. "How have you been Naruto?" He asked. Naruto stopped pushing his chakra into the sand and reached into the pile, pulling out a flawless glass ball the size of his palm.

"I have been better Hatake-san, but I have also been a lot worse." He answered. "What brings you to me Hatake-san?" He inquired.

"Can't I just come and inquire about one of my students?" Kakashi asked innocently, Naruto allowed the emotionless exterior to crack for a moment and grinned a little at his old sensei.

"I'm not your student Hatake-san, I haven't been for seven years. Say what you want to say or ask what you want to ask before I ask you to leave." Naruto told him. Kakashi sighed, it wasn't going to be easy to talk to him.

"What happened to you Naruto? The boy I knew wouldn't be this cold." He asked.

"I grew up Hatake-san, I had to." Naruto answered. "Besides, my sensei taught me that showing emotions in hostile territory might get me killed." He added, getting a frown from Kakashi.

"Konoha isn't enemy territory Naruto, it's your home." Naruto Barked out a laugh at Kakashi's statement.

"Konoha is just as dangerous for me, if not more than, Iwa, Hatake-san. You know this and I know this." He replied. "The only reason I was never attacked here was because of Sandaime-sama's law, and now that that's been repealed I don't know what's going to happen, but I can imagine." He added to clarify for the scarecrow. "You know." Naruto began to change the subject. "I've found that people look at scenery like this." He said, gesturing with his free hand at the lake and the large forest ahead of them. "and always think about what there is, and never see what is there." He finished

"What do you mean Naruto?" Kakashi asked, genuinely confused.

"What I mean, Hatake-san, is that when people see something there first instinct is always to ask how they can exploit it or if they should fear it, especially if they don't know or understand, instead of just see what there is for just what there is." He said. "When you see this lake, you see a training opportunity, the villagers see a place to get water or fish or a place to play and relax." He said philosophically.

"And what do you see Naruto." Kakashi asked, wondering where and when Naruto became so insightful.

"I see a lake."

* * *

"How long?" Tsunade asked Shizuke, anger edging her words. Tsunade eyed the daimyo, she wasn't that old, in fact she was just younger than Naruto but she was the only daughter of the previous daimyo, who passed away two years ago, and she had the knowledge and determination to do the job justice.

Tsunade had had many meetings with both daimyo's over the course of the last four years and in each she was always asked how the Uzumaki was. Tsunade had always known that the old daimyo appreciated Naruto for the weapon he could become, and Tsunade had to always refer to the boy as such when she had first took the Hokage position and it had become ingrained when speaking with him, right up to her first meeting with Shizuke, who had admonished the Sannin and asked her not to refer to anyone like that again 'shinobi are not weapons, they are people doing a dangerous job and shouldn't be disrespected like that.' She had said and Tsunade had agreed.

"How long, what?" Shizuke countered with a smile, what Tsunade didn't know was that her father had wanted to adopt Naruto but had been blocked by the Third and the council, one because he wanted Naruto to grow in the village of his birth and the others because they didn't want the daimyo to have such a powerful weapon, from then on, any meeting between the daimyo and the village Shizuke's father, Shinrai, had referred to all shinobi as 'weapons' as an insult, a very effective one.

It had been Shinrai's intention to get Naruto into his court, with his efforts doubling when he had heard of the jinchuuriki's exile, and had kept an extensive dossier on Naruto's comings and goings: training, missions, disciplinary notices, etc.

"How long has Uzumaki Naruto been working for you?" Tsunade snapped.

"Namikaze." Shizuke corrected.

"How long!?" Tsunade asked again. Shizuke's smirk disappeared.

"Remember who your speaking to, Tsunade-_dono_." She warned. Tsunade calmed herself down. "To answer your question, Naruto has been working for me, on-and-off, since I ascended to the daimyo title, he worked for my father before that." She added.

"So whenever I asked for help to locate him and you said you had no idea, you were lying to me?" Tsunade was insulted and angry, but hid the anger.

"Not really, you would ask us 'Do you have any information on Naruto's whereabouts?' and we would reply truthfully, we didn't" Shizuke answered smugly, the smirk back upon her delicate features.

"But you knew where he was!" Tsunade snapped again. Shizuke shook her head.

"No wonder the council is able to run rings around you when they want to." She mused. "Yes, we knew where Naruto was, right down to where he would be in an hours time but we never kept _information_ on where he was, it's standard procedure for a man of his rank." She clarified.

"Oh really?" Tsunade asked. "And what rank is that, exactly?" She asked further.

"Why, Naruto is one of my Fire Guardian's and was my personal bodyguard." Shizuke answered casually. "Now he is on retainer as my seal expert." She added. "And speaking of _seals_, Tsunade-dono, would you like to explain why you stole a _very_ important and _very_ expensive seal scroll from my archives?" Shizuke asked sweetly. Tsunade sighed inwardly, she had a feeling that today was going to be a day filled wall-to-wall with problems.

* * *

Sakura watched in horror, anger and a tinge of fear from the bushes as her team leader conversed with the Bane of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto. Back when she was younger, when Naruto brought back Uchiha Sasuke to Konoha in a coma she had been angry but understood the need to do so much damage to the attempted traitor, it was how Naruto had done it that had broke what little friendship they had, he had used an accursed power, one her sensei, Tsunade, had said he couldn't control, to do it. In her mind Naruto wasn't the demon, Kyuubi, but he was just as dangerous and should never have been given a chance at life, she knew that her view was mirrored by Ino, but some of the others held darker views, Hinata, surprisingly among them. Despite the differing views of the jinchuuriki the result was the same, if they ever saw him breaking the law, they wouldn't hesitate to kill him, and here he was, breaking the biggest law he could; he was back in the village he was banished from. Sakura created a **Kage Bunshin** and left it to watch and tail Naruto should he move and went to get her friends together, it was time to get rid of the 'Kyuubi problem' once and for all...

* * *

"...A lake?" Kakashi asked, perplexed and a little angry, he had been expecting some deep philosophical answer to come from the blonde.

"Yes, 'a lake'. I see a thing of beauty that should be nurtured, not destroyed in the efforts to forward the villages goals." For the first time Naruto turned to look at his one-time sensei. Kakashi frowned a bit when he caught the sad look in Naruto's dull blue eyes. "How many animal habitats have been destroyed to make way for 'progress'?" He asked rhetorically. "I once took a walk around the forests on the edge of Konoha territory and I can count on one hand the number of foxes, the number of boar and the number of owls i aw, all together." He sighed. "On some level I can understand the foxes, mankind destroys what he fears after all, and the boars. But I could not understand why the owls were dwindling in the forest, I still don't." Without warning Naruto turned and hurled the glass ball into the trees behind him. There was a _crack_ of a branch then the _poof_ of a dismissed clone. If Kakashi was confused about this event, he didn't show it.

"How long will you be staying Naruto?" He asked after a pause.

"That depends on Shizuke-sama." He answered. "If you would like to continue this chat later Hatake-san, I am most likely going to be stationed in the daimyo's house. It seems that some people wish to...discuss some things with me and I would like to do so in private." Naruto added. Kakashi understood immediately what he meant.

"I would like that Naruto." He turned to leave but stopped ."Naruto?" He asked.

" Yes Hatake-san?"

"I just want you to know that I do not hate you, neither do the other jounin who have met you. I want you to know that no matter what happens, you do have friends in the leaf." Kakashi told him. Naruto smiled at the jounin.

"That is good to know, Kakashi-sensei." He replied. Kakashi, happy that he had managed to reconnect on some level with his wayward student, waved goodbye and shushined out of sight, into the forest on the other side of the lake, giving him a good view what was about to happen. _I want to see with my own eyes how strong you are Naruto, both of them._ He thought and pushed his headband up to show his sharingan.

* * *

Naruto continued to meditate until he felt a mass of chakra signatures, four in total, approaching him at speed, he smiled, he had a chance to show his peers that he wasn't going to take any shit from them. Unfortunately, he was taught that violence should always be a last resort and one should find the diplomatic route first, and if there was one thing Namikaze Naruto knew it was diplomacy, his way.

He closed his eyes and quietly gathered his chakra and pumped it into the sand, ready for the coming confrontation. He waited for the ninja to surround him completely before he spoke.

"Good morning Haruno-san. Would you and your friends like to sit with me?" He asked. He didn't get a reply, he opened his eyes and took in his visitors, one of them was definitely Sakura, she was behind him, in front of him was Ino and to his left was Kiba and on his right...Naruto bowed his head. "Hyuuga-sama." he greeted Hinata. He caught the look of disgust on her face before looking back towards Ino. "If you are not here to sit and take in the scenery, may I ask what you are doing here?" He asked the group. It was Kiba who answered.

"Isn't it obvious, Kyuubi-freak?" He said with a snarl. "We are here to dispense some justice, you have broken your exile and the punishment for that is death." He added.

"Inuzuka-san, I was forced back here by your Hokage." Naruto turned his head and gave Sakura a side-long glance. "I'm surprised the vaunted apprentice of the Hokage wouldn't know such a thing." Sakura said nothing, she didn't know what to say. It had been easy to hate Naruto when she didn't have to look at him, but, seeing him now, the calmest and quietest she had ever seen him, brought back all the good memories she had of her ex-team-mate, and not only that but what he was wearing was familiar, an ingrained part of her told her to run and she couldn't understand why. Naruto looked around and took in the defensive postures the four exhibited. "I will ask only one time for you to reconsider, if we fight I will not take responsibility for any injuries you receive." He told them, staring down Ino. No one moved.

"Those seals on your hands." Hinata spoke up for the first time. "They stop you from making hand-seals. How do you hope to stop us if you can't cast jutsu?" She asked. Naruto smiled.

"If you do not leave, you will find out." He said, looking directly into her lavender-tinged eyes. Kiba, taking this as an opportunity to attack, pulled out a kunai and charged at the blonde, he didn't get far.

Without warning the sand around Naruto exploded upwards, forcing the four attackers back and obscuring Naruto from their sight. When the sand settled, Naruto was no longer there.

"Seems the freak ran." Kiba mused. Hinata activated her byakugan and shook her head.

"He's standing on the middle of the lake." She informed them and looked out towards the lake where Naruto waited patiently, no sign of discomfort showing. The four Konoha-nin leapt out to join him, surrounding him once more. "It's time for you to die for your sins, Kyuubi." Hinata said and settled into her clan's fighting style.

"If you truly wish to fight, then we shall and you shall suffer the consequences, both now and later." Naruto told them. "But if there is one thing I will not tolerate it is that incessant view that I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, it is demeaning to both me and my father and I will not allow it." With his piece said he centred his focus on Hinata and faced her fully, settling into his taijutsu stance; right foot back and his left side closer to his opponent, hands at head hight and open with spine, heart, right hand and left hand following a perfect straight line.

He stared the Hyuuga down, his features going from emotionless to cold instantly.

"Prepare yourself Hyuuga, you will be the last one to fall." He told her, then span on his back foot and kicked his left foot up and his heel into Kiba's chin, the fight had started.


	4. Actions Speak Louder

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Actions Speak Louder**

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:** Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, the next...who knows?

**Author's Notes:** First of all I would like to thank everyone for their reviews, I'm sorry that I didn't respond to all of them personally. Second of all I'd like to apologise about the lateness of this chapter, I was fussing over it quite a bit. And Finally I'd like to point out that this is my first attempt at a 'Naruto' fight scene so there is very little jutsu use, and even when I get my bearings I won't be just having a list of jutsu and their effects (As I've seen done) and call it an action piece, this is part of the reason I had Naruto be unable to create hand seals.

* * *

_**Previously:**__ In the furore that was precipitated by Naruto's leaked heritage his employer, the Fire Daimyo, releases him to leave. After exploring his old home and finding, to his dismay, that very little has changed he comes across the last two members of his old team sparring. Not wanting to be discovered he continues on to a lake, one of the numerous training grounds Konoha boasts, and meditates. During his meditation Kakashi comes and the two speak, beginning to reconnect, while a Sakura __**bunshin**__ spies from nearby while the real one gets reinforcements. Knowing what is to come, Naruto, in a roundabout way, ask Kakashi to stay out of the coming fight._

_Sakura, followed by Ino, Hinata and Kiba surround Naruto with the intent of killing him, but Naruto refuses to go quietly..._

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It all happened so fast, Kiba felt he was missing a few seconds of his life. First he felt pain explode in his jaw and the next he felt himself hit a tree, on the opposite bank of the lake, a quarter of a mile away. He shook his head and tried to focus, silently happy that Akamaru, his nin-dog companion had refused to come. He forced himself up into a seating position and caught sight of the brawl.

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Naruto finished the roundhouse heel-kick that KO'd Kiba and slammed his palm onto the surface of the water, using his chakra to explode the water up and outwards. The three kunoichi all jumped back, effectively separated enough for Naruto to work comfortably. The jinchuuriki charged at Ino, who pulled out a kunai and attempted to slash at the opposing blonde. Naruto ducked the blade, span out and around from Ino and stood back up, resting the heels of both palms on the girl's spine. Ino attempted to turn around to face her enemy but felt the constant contact of his hands on her back, in an act of desperation she kicked back, the hands left her spine, only to grab her outstretched leg and a foot kicking her load bearing leg out from under her. She only had a second to gasp in panic before she went under the water, where Naruto held her long enough to subdue her before throwing her towards the shore.

He used the momentum to swing around, bringing his arms up to deflect Sakura and Hinata's pincer attack. He brought his left hand up high and grabbed Sakura's forearm as it cam down for a crashing blow and pushed her arm across her body, forcing her off balance while at the same time he took his other hand down low and grabbed Hinata's low sweeping leg by the calf and pulled it up and back, throwing her into the water. He spun around and and aimed a kick at Sakura's closer leg but hit the surface of the water as she dodged backwards. The two combatants settled back into their beginning katas and sized each other up.

"You have improved Haruno-san." Naruto complimented.

"So have you, Naruto." She replied. "But your fighting style seems familiar and I can't seem to place it." She added. So far everything about Naruto had screamed 'deadly' to her and she couldn't place why exactly. It had started with his clothes; tailored for the Suna desert wastelands but not Suna-nin gear. Then that chakra exercise, making a glass orb out of sand and chakra, she'd heard it was difficult to do and only the Kazekage did it as general exercise. And then the was the way he made the sand explode and now his fighting style. "Just what are you Naruto?" She asked. She didn't get her answer.

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Hinata forced herself back onto the temporary dry land of the lake surface and looked to see Sakura take on the beast. She still felt a shiver of disgust at herself every time she thought about how she used to feel and act around the Kyuubi. She saw her chance to take him down, his back was turned to her. She quickly and silently charged him and charged up chakra into her right hand, ready to use a jyuken strike to Naruto's back to break his spinal cord. Somewhere nearby an owl hooted and, as if on cue, Naruto span to his right and dodged her attack. Her look of surprise only lasted as long as it too for Naruto to axe kick her into the water once more.

* * *

"So, why don't you tell me why you had Naruto...forcibly escorted into you village Tsunade-dono?" Shizuke asked her blonde haired friend, they'd already settled the seal stealing with a reduction in the pay Konoha received as retainers for the next five years as well as a concession for every time it was reapplied. Shizuke always believed that holding mistakes over peoples heads was in bad taste, something Tsunade knew, so the matter would never be spoken of again.

"Seven years ago, Naruto successfully retrieved Uchiha Sasuke from defecting to Otogakure and Orochimaru, the Uchiha was returned in a coma that lasted for about a year, once he was fully recovered he was placed on trial." Tsunade took a sip of her tea before continuing. "The verdict was imprisonment for five years. This was later repealed to house arrest a year later but with a year added for bad behaviour, he'll be fully released in a weeks time.

"The council felt that it wouldn't be prudent to place him back into a genin team and have decided to place him in a team with his peers. Unfortunately there aren't any jounin available to lead the team and only two people from his age group have shown that they can, and would, take him on if he attempts to escape again. Rock Lee has agreed to join this...parole detail, I suppose you could say, and so has Haruno Sakura and Aburame Shino." Tsunade paused again. "Naruto is to be the fourth member. He's the only one of his peers to win outright against Sasuke." Shizuke sized up the Hokage for a moment, picking her words carefully.

"The only problem with that as I can see is that you expected Naruto to still be loyal to the village, loyal to you after you exiled him on a stupid charge." Tsunade's face creased with a frown.

"Did Naruto tell you that?" She asked. "I exiled Naruto because he lost control of Kyuubi's chakra, he was a danger to the village and to himself, he was supposed to go away, learn to control it then come back to report for duty." She added. Shizuke rebuked with a sharp laugh.

"And that is the problem, you made the same mistake that every other hidden village made when they created their Jinchuuriki weapons-" She started

"Naruto was not created to be a weapon!" Tsunade snapped.

"But you and the council still think of him in those terms." Shizuke told her. "Your problem was, is, that you though of him in terms that can't ever be applied to Jinchuuriki, you thought that Naruto, as the Kyuubi container, had nice and easy access to Kyuubi's chakra, but he doesn't, no Jinchuuriki has. Just look at the Kazekage, the one tail alone was too overwhelming for him and you seemed to expect an under developed, badly trained and taught twelve year old to do better with the most powerful of all the Bijuu." Shizuke said. "You keep thinking of him in terms of a kunai or katana; a finely honed edge that attacks swiftly and accurately. But Jinchuuriki aren't finely honed weapons, their have the destructive power of a million explosive notes, the relentless power of a tidal wave. I'll tell you what Naruto told me when I asked why he couldn't ever do what you and Konoha expected of him: 'The Kyuubi's chakra is an unrelenting force of nature, you could sooner stop an earthquake with a kunai or turn a tidal wave off of it's path with a wave of your hand. Kyuubi's chakra can't _be_ controlled, only guided and even then it's up to luck.' The only times Naruto looked like he had control was when he was in complete harmony with the Kyuubi, when all Naruto wanted was his opponents death." Shizuke lectured. "What you wanted from Naruto was unobtainable in those circumstances and he told you that, but you didn't listen." She added. "When we met Jiriaya once on our travels they got into an argument over Naruto's refusal to try and control Kyuubi. He, like you, was under the impression that just because it's chakra and it was in Naruto's body he should have complete control of it." Tsunade was confused and it showed.

"But the seal the Yondaime used-"

"Was designed to _filter_ the Kyuubi's chakra, it slowly purifies it not instantly transforms it. When Naruto pulled on the Kyuubi's chakra it was slowly killing him as well as giving the Kyuubi a foothold on his psyche." Shizuke paused and let out a ragged breath. "But this is getting off subject. Why is it that you are absolutely sure that Naruto should come back to the Konoha?" Shizuke asked, all she got was a silent pause. "I see." she finally said. "you were counting on the iron-like loyalty he once had to this village." She stated, Tsunade nodded.

"And if that didn't work I was going to barter information on his parents." She added. "How _did_ he find out about Minato, anyway?"

"My father told him when he hired him, he felt that if he was going to trust Naruto with me then Naruto should know why." Shizuke answered.

"What do you mean 'trust Naruto with you'?" Tsunade asked. Shizuke smiled softly.

"Naruto was hired to teach me various things as well as protect me, we travelled around Fire country, Wind country and various others. While there he taught me the local history, culture and politics. This was all to get me prepared for my role as the Daimyo." She answered, watching as Tsunade started to take a sip of tea. "He also took my virginity." She added and a satisfied smile grew as tea was sprayed over the Hokage's desk.

* * *

_How is he doing this?!_ Hinata thought to herself, the pattern was pretty much set, every attack on Naruto's back was dodged then countered but he didn't so much as glance her way, and where did all the damn owls come from?

Naruto smirked as he crouched a spinning kick from his ex-team-mate and then dodged a palm strike aimed at his kidneys from Hinata, he deflected a punch from Sakura by pushing the offending wrist across her body and spun around and embedded his elbow into Hinata's stomach. He rounded back on Sakura and deflected the one-two combo she sent his way, he felt the chakra spike in her hands as she threw her fists at him.

"So how far along are you with mastering your teacher's massive strength?" He asked as he pushed a jab up past his shoulder.

"Far enough to turn you into _paste_!" She answered and on the last word she powered up a right hook, which was stopped dead when Naruto gripped her fist in his left hand. He cocked his head and smirked in a way that reminded her a little of Sasuke.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked. Sakura tried to pull her fist out of his grip but found it stuck fast.

"That's impossible." she stammered. Naruto shook his head and pulled her fist back and her off balance, then pushed chakra into his right fist and punched her in her stomach, hard. One second they were both there, almost frozen in a tableau of violence and the next Naruto was all alone, only a jet of water and a rising spray to signify where Sakura was launched from. From behind him, Naruto heard four owls hoot in succession, he spun around and raised his right hand and plucked four shuriken from from the air and locked them behind his first knuckles by making a half fist, he now had a make-shift knuckle duster. He faced his opponent, no, his three opponents. Ino had revived and Kiba was back into the fray. Naruto hung his hands down by his sides and began to force his chakra into the water. _I've had enough of this_ he thought _one more warning before I take them down_.

"This is your last warning, leave or I will be forced to hurt you, badly." He lightly closed his hands, as if holding onto a bag handle and waited for their reply. No reply was forthcoming, instead the four Konoha-nin steeled themselves for a final charge. "Very well, do not say that I didn't warn you." He said and raised his arms, the strain showing in his limbs as if he was lifting a great weight. The four ninja began to charge the jinchuuriki only subconsciously taking notice that the water was no rushing past their feet, straight towards Naruto.

Naruto's hands raised up to his chest level and behind him the water began to rise and hold into a wave, he flipped his hands around and pushed upwards, the wave rose. Sakura and Ino stopped and gaped at the sight, Kiba and Hinata ploughed on, focused completely on their target. Naruto took in the scene before him and sighed before gesturing with his arms, pushing them out in front of him like he was pushing something. The giant wall of water that had built up behind him, now several stories high, rushed forward, around Naruto, and hit the rushing chunins. Despite the distance between Sakura and Ino and Kiba and Hinata, the pink and blonde haired kunoichi couldn't dodge in time and were swept away with the man-made tide.

* * *

To say that Kakashi was impressed with his ex-student was an understatement, he was blown completely away. As he watched the fight, Kakashi mentally compared the young Naruto to this one and found that Naruto had matured both physically and mentally and had a better grasp of his intelligence. Naruto had had complete control over the skirmish from the get go, he'd charged his chakra into the sand to use as a screen to mask his movement as well as his next move, which itself was equally impressive.

Kakashi looked to his right and left where two barn owls patiently watched Naruto fight, Kakashi had never heard of an Owl contract but saw Naruto summon a whole flock of them as he landed in the middle of the lake by swiping some blood upon a stylized seal on his left fore arm. The taijutsu fight after that had been entertaining to say the least as Naruto systematically shut down the team one by one. And then the 'dead last' had created giant wave without seals and crashed it down upon the chunin _Whatever training Naruto has undertaken_ Kakashi mused _it was good for him._ Kakashi looked down at the bottom of the tree had was hiding in and watched the four chunin groan and twitch as they slowly roused themselves, he looked up again to see Naruto slowly walking towards them. _What will you do now Naruto?_

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Shuriken knuckle duster still in hand, Naruto slowly approached the four leaf-nin sprawled on the bank. He watched calmly as Hinata forced herself back to her feet and settled into her families taijutsu stance, but with her leading hand holding a kunai in a reverse grip. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the action.

"I suggest you stand down Hyuuga-sama." He intoned, no emotion evident in his speech. Hinata's grip on the kunai tightened as she watched Naruto approach, now walking slowly up the bank towards her. She took a moment to steel herself and then charged forward, kunai raised for a downward stab, her arm was stopped and pain blossomed in her wrist as Naruto raised the shuriken covered hand and blocked the attack with them. He quickly opened his hand and grabbed her wrist, getting a small squeak of pain from the Hyuuga as he did so, then grabbed her other hand with his free one and twisted her around and held both of her arms behind her back in on hand and kept her their. "I told you that you would fall last Hyuuga-_sama_." he said and forced her to her knees before freeing up his uncovered hand and jabbing it into the pressure point at the base of her skull, she was out instantly.

He let the unconscious nin drop, then let the four throwing weapons fall from his fingers and began to walk away.

"Just who are you Naruto?" He heard Sakura groan out. He stopped and looked at his ex-team-mate over his shoulder.

"I am Namikaze Naruto." He replied. "Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, exile of Konohagakure no Sato, seal specialist, monk of the Fire Temple, warrior monk of the wind temple." He added. "Adept of the temples of water, earth, lightning and metal, son of the Yondaime Hokage, retainer of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni and the last person you ever should have fucked with." He finished and continued to walk away. "See you at dinner Hatake-san." He said as he left and, as if on cue, Kakashi appeared by his team-mate. He helped her up before gently admonishing her.

"Do you realise what you just did Sakura?" He asked, she shook her head in the negative. "You just attacked one of the Fire guardians of the Daimyo, and she takes any attack on them personally." He explained to her. She dropped her head in both embarrassment and shame. _Tsunade-sama is going to kill me_.


	5. Catching Up

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Catching Up  
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**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:** Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, then next...who knows?

**Author's Notes:** An Idea (I think it deserves the capital letter) came to me recently and it's one I _think_ hasn't been exploited yet.

What If Naruto declined to take the chunin exam?

I know it's a weird concept but pretty much everything else has been moved to the 'cliché' file. So I'm gonna think on this and see if there's a story (A really _good_ story) in this, I invite anyone willing to do the same, think of this as a challenge. (no, seriously, this _is_ a challenge)

I've had a few complaints about how I've portrayed Hinata, one going so far as to write that he'll (or she'll) never read a fic written by me again, and I state that, simply, I have artistic licence.

Having Hinata hate Naruto hasn't been fully explored yet and I want to make this fic as unique as possible( As I said before, this fic is hitting hashed/re-hashed territory). I'm honestly with you guys; Hinata wouldn't outright hate Naruto like this. I made Hinata (and coincidentally Tsunade) act like this for it's _uniqueness_. I hope this point has come across because I really hate to sound like a whiny bitch.

Though the consensus says otherwise, I'm trying not to write a 'bashing' fic. If I was then Sakura wouldn't be Tsunade's apprentice, Sasuke would be dead and Kakashi would have been attacked (And killed) in the last chapter. If I get too far into bashing territory I'm counting on the reader (you) to tell me otherwise. I prize honesty above all other virtues.

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**Previously:**_ Naruto was forced into an altercation with Sakura, Ino, Kiba and Hinata and upon defeating them Kakashi, who was watching nearby, informed Sakura of Naruto's status as a Fire Guardian and a Wind monk. Tsunade is briefly briefed by Shizuke on what Naruto has been doing, including some unexpected intimate details..._

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Control; It is, fundamentally, the most unobtainable thing after perfection. Chaos, fate and luck have more rule over the masses. The various Temples know this and, accepting this, teach patience and wisdom. Naruto, as a summation of these teachings, knew that 'perfect' control was unobtainable. But still, he strived for it because other than his personal goal, it was the _only_ thing he strived for.

Chakra: Monks, Priests and all those who devoted themselves to the betterment of life treated chakra as the power of life _itself_, something that shouldn't be squandered, whereas ninja mistook it for a power to be utilised _by_ mankind (instead of _for _mankind), something quite a few people would regret. So when Naruto used it to beat his opponents, he had better of had a good reason. Unfortunately, now, he didn't and that was why he would have been found in this particular moment, nursing a broken hand reflectively, wandering through Konoha's boundless forest. Naruto thought back to everything,_everything_, he had ever been taught in both the Fire and Wind temples; two of the, countless, opposing temples he had been instructed in. Water, lightening and earth temples,unfortunately, didn't compare to the opposing natures that Wind and Fire nurtured.

If anything, only one person, personified the balance of nature

One's own elemental affinity was within easy, 'controllable' reach, as his sensei's lectured but Naruto, as was his _nature_, always worked beyond that supposed reach,

He got up and continued back towards Konoha.

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Naruto walked on in, what seemed like him to be hours but was in reality, minutes. Once he knew he was out of the chunin's chakra detection range, he collapsed against a tree. The chakra drain it took to create a passive tidal wave was _immense_, it took every ounce of control and a gigantic heap of his chakra reserves to pile up, and then stay, a waiting wash of tidal water.

Naruto stayed huddled, cradling his left hand, for several minutes before he gained control of his emotions and walked towards the village proper. It wasn't just the creation of a tidal wave but the whole fight itself that taxed him; using the sand to blind, his own chakra to blind and then, again, using his chakra to overwhelm his opponents that pushed him toward, and beyond, the edge of his basic ability. What hurt the most was that punch from his ex-team mate, she may not have the chakra enhanced punch completely mastered but she did have a good enough grasp that when Naruto stopped her punch, something had to give, and this time it was the bones in his hand. It would take a few hours to heal.

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_Wind monks_, Tsunade hadn't heard of one in a long while. She and Shizuke had watched the whole skirmish when Shino Aburame, one of the recent chunin put up for jounin selection had informed her of her apprentice's intention to kill Naruto for trespass on Konoha territory, Tsunade hadn't even expected her back from her mission till tomorrow:

It had been a joint mission with all the chunin level members of the rookie nine, minus Shino, with Kakashi in charge, the mission was to locate and assess an Oto base that was rumoured to have appeared on the border of rice and fire countries. Tsunade had planned to tell the group about Naruto's return and to make sure that they understood that he was to be left alone, but now that idea was in the crapper.

"I'm beginning to get very _annoyed _Tsunade." Shizuke said after a pause. "Four of your chunin have attacked one of my Fire Guardians, I'm sure you know the _punishment_ for that is?" She asked. Tsunade _did_ know what the punishment was; the minimum was an instant demotion and six month jail sentence with conditional parole and at worst, execution.

"What would it take for you to let this be a...private matter?" Tsunade asked carefully, she was already in deep with the daimyo.

"First, you will understand that Naruto has no desire to return to Konoha, his responsibilities now lay elsewhere." Shizuke began to dictate. "Second, you will make reparations to both Naruto and Suna for your attack on him and his Suna escort." Again Tsunade nodded but filed away a question she wanted answered later. "And finally, you will tell me what _possessed_ you to sanction an attack on an allied nation?" Tsunade gave the daimyo a confused look. "Naruto was under Suna protection, the statement I heard from the Kazekage was that your two ANBU units threatened deadly force, _why_?" Shizuke asked.

"When word reached me that Naruto was travelling through Fire country I despatched the two squads to retrieve him, no matter what. Their orders were specific; Naruto was to be brought before the council, no excuses. I didn't know he had a Suna escort." She answered, taking notice of Shizuke's confused look. "Something the matter Shizuke-dono?" Tsunade asked.

"Where did you get this information from?" She asked.

"It was an anonymous tip through Jiraiya's spy network, why?"

"Because the only people who knew Naruto was travelling at that specific time were me, three member's of the Fire Guardians and Naruto." _And Temari and all of Suna_ Shizuke added mentally. "I told no-one and the three Guardians were Naruto's closest friends and Naruto had no reason to tell you." She continued..._or did he?_ She thought. An Idea of what had happened had begun to enter her thoughts _that manipulative little bastard!_ She thought.

"Can you tell me how Naruto came to be a Wind Monk Shizuke-dono? Baki told me he was training in the Fire temple." Tsunade asked. Shizuke nodded and started to explain.

"Naruto only spent the first three years within the Fire temple, learning seals, chakra control and manipulation, as well as the basics of tai- and bojutsu." She started. "After three years it was obvious to both Naruto and his masters that he didn't have the same outlook on life and advised him to go out into the world and learn from other temples.

"I don't know when it was but my father heard of Naruto's first 'pilgrimage', I suppose you could call it, and summoned him to give him a position within his court but to prove himself he was to protect me for a whole year, while he travelled. He accepted and I found myself on the road with a man only a year older than me, we went everywhere.

"If I remember correctly we were in...waterfall country when we came across the Wind Monks...

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Wind Monks, an open secret in the upper echelons of every nation. They first came to prominence during the second great war when their temple, hidden deep within one of the harder-to-reach oasis's, was uncovered by Konoha scouts who mistook it for a Suna ninja garrison and began a plan of attack.

A force of a five hundred leaf nin, mostly chunin but lead by ten Jounin had attacked the temple, they were fought off by two hundred monks. It took the leaf a month to decide to fall back and leave the monks to themselves but it was to late, the monks entered the war with the blessings of the Wind Lord and began to systematically decimate their nearest enemy, Kumo, by going through the lesser countries that wanted no part in the war and allowed passage to the usually peaceful monks.

The next time the leaf caught sight of a wind monk was on a battlefield against Iwa, this time the monks sided with the leaf, and then left soon after the battle was over. Tsunade had been on that battlefield, which is coincidently the battle where she lost her lover, and had seen the monks in action, like the wind they were relentless and unstoppable and cut through Iwa's defences with child-like ease. Tsunade, as well as the surviving Leaf-nin, re-told the Hokage and the council what had happened from then on the council decided to label the Wind Monks as an S-class threat.

Since then the Wind Monks haven't been heard of on the world stage but have quietly been going about their business, spreading whatever peace they could and defending any innocents that needed their defence, it was one such 'mission' that had a group of monks coming across a Fire Monk by the name of Uzumaki Naruto and his charge Shizuke. The boy had requested training from the monks and they had taken the two teens back to the temple. The rest, as they say, is history.

* * *

Konoha's market place, like it always was at this time of the day, was crowded, overcrowded in Naruto's opinion but then, he was used to the more laid back market atmosphere that was Sunagakure's economic centre.

As he moved through the crowds Naruto noticed a lot of things, both within himself and out, the first was that he was angry; at himself and at his one-time friends. The first was obvious, all his various sensei's teachings had more or less come down to diplomacy before battle and he had gone straight into the battle, although he had kept to the Wind Monks most sacred tenets when it came to warfare; never strike first. The second should have been as obvious but it wasn't; he knew that those he had considered friends in this village hated him for various reasons that always came back to the Kyuubi no Yoko but part of him had hoped that they would grow past that irrational hate and welcome him back into the fold though the cynical and more realistic side knew it wouldn't happen. He was angry that they didn't accept yet knew they wouldn't, sometimes he even confused himself with his thoughts.

As such, his anger had caused him to subconsciously emit a small amount of KI that had an effect on the villagers he was walking through, they parted like the Red sea before Moses. News of his 'return' had spread through the village, followed closely by his parentage, and now the citizens of the leaf knew to avoid him. Which was a shame because he felt like getting into a fight...

_I really need to find a place to calm down_ Naruto thought _Not even a week back in the place and I'm reverting back into the _Idiot_ I was here. _The only safe haven in Konoha now would be the Shizuke's residence _Definitely the best place to be right now._

Team Gai sat in the outside section of one of the restaurants the were scattered through the market district of the village, silently watching the blonde make his way through the crowd. It was a moment before one of them spoke.

"We'll have to speak to him at some point." Tenten voiced. "It's been a year since we last saw him and It'll probably do him some good to see a friendly face." Team Gai had been offered places in the fire guardians four years previous, the first time a whole team had been given the privilige, and had accepted. For six months everything went okay for them until it came to a joint mission with Shizuke's , then the princess, personal bodyguards; a VIP protection mission that involved Shizuke. When the three had seen Naruto they began to kick up a fuss with the daimyo, Tenten specifically trying to tell the daimyo what Naruto was; an uncontrollable monster and couldn't be trusted with his daughter's life, and the three were given a serious dressing down by their lord. 'Naruto is one of my most trusted subordinates' he had told them 'He has been trusted with my daughter's life since he was sixteen and hasn't let me down yet.' Then to add insult he added 'I'd trust him alone to protect me better than the three of you.

Team Gai had begrudgingly gone on the mission with them, they couldn't exactly refuse the daimyo after all, and because travelling for several months in silence would be unbearable they began to slowly open up to the other three; first to Naruto's partner, then to Shizuke, which given their attitude to Naruto was fairly difficult, and finally Naruto himself, which was a battle all on it's own.

By the end of the prolonged mission any and all differences had been sorted and Naruto now had three friends he could count on. During Team Gai's tenure with the Fire Guardians they found out a lot about the blonde Jinchuuriki and by the end promised not to mention his whereabouts. They figured that would be the last they would see of him as he expressed no desire to return to the village of his birth, until they heard the rumours and they saw him stalking up the main street in the market sector.

* * *

"Hey Naruto!" Naruto stopped as he was about to enter the elite housing district, a place the Jounin and dignitary's lived within Konoha, a little further on was the bulk of the clan district. He turned around to see Team Gai jogging to catch up to see him, he stopped and let them catch up. He smiled slightly as he greeted the three Konoha ninja and invited them back to the daimyo's residence to catch up, normally ninja weren't allowed within the compound walls that marked the daimyo's home but as it was a Fire Guardian asking ex-Fire Guardians, there wouldn't be a problem...probably.

The four entered the daimyo's house without trouble, the four Fire guardians that had accompanied Shizuke knew team Gai and had no objections to them visiting, even Shizuke would like to see them at some point during her unplanned visit.

Deciding to take an evening drink in the informal meeting room of the house the four, sat on a square arrangement of seats, caught up on what had been happening over the past year, typical gossip and news that had no real importance; this kept up for an hour before Neji decided to get into more important topics.

"There's something I need to apologise for Naruto." He started ominously. Seeing Naruto's confused face he explained further. "I was in the ANBU squad that was ordered to bring you back."

"You were following orders Neji, you don't have to apologise." Naruto answered. "How has your family been?" Naruto asked.

"Hiashi-sama is well and Hanabi-sama made chunin in the last exams in Sunagakure." He answered. Naruto raised his glass and took a sip out of it.

"I saw here match, she is very talented. Though I noticed that the variation of Jyuuken she used was a little different." Naruto added. "I saw that same style earlier today as well." Neji looked confused. "Your cousin and a few of her friends decided to...welcome me into the village." Neji winced.

"Hinata changed quite drastically when she found out about your jinchuuriki status, while she's okay normally, a bit more focused at least, any mention of you and she goes..." Neji paused while he tried to find the right word. "...conflicted, I think is appropriate. She gets angry, _very_ angry and rants but I hear her in her unguarded times and I believe some part of her still likes you, I believe the mental conflict has something to do with who told her, and how." Neji explained. There was a pause that said everything; Hiashi had never had a bad thing to say about Naruto, well, beyond the odd prank directed his way at least, but the Hyuuga's Elder council feared him for the power he held and would possibly hold in the future; ranging from simple strength right down to the sway he held over the heir apparent of their clan. To combat this they took the order of the Hokage to explain who and what Naruto was and twisted it into their own perverted little fairy tale. They convinced Hinata that Naruto was the Kyuubi, that he was using Kitsune trickery to seduce her and that it showed how weak she was that she had succumbed. At first she had resisted but the overbearing presence of the Elders outmatched her frail psyche and confidence. Naruto remembered his first meeting with the 'new' Hinata, it wasn't pleasant.

"Maybe in time she'll see the light." Naruto said after a while. "But that is up to her and I will not feel guilty over my actions towards her this morning." He breathed out a sigh and then looked at the three in turn. "So, anything else happen since I last saw you?" He asked brightly. Any answer was stopped by the arrival of Shizuke, at once all four bowed quickly and stood up straight again when she waved them to do so. Before a word could be uttered Shizuke quickly stalked around to Naruto and slapped him as hard as she could.

"You _bastard_!"


	6. Punishment

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Punishment**

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:**Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, then next...who knows?

**Author's Note's:** First of all I apologise for the long wait for this chapter, I've got a ton of excuses but no clear and definite reasons as to why. The fact of the matter is, is that I haven't even touched my word program until good Friday, make of that what you will.

I've got a lot of reviews and responses to the last chapter, a lot of them positive, some negative but with constructive criticism and advice in them, which I'm grateful for. And a very select few that were just plain negative, I ignored those.

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**Previously:**_Tsunade finds out a little bit about Naruto's past and Shizuke learns about how Tsunade found out about Naruto's travel plans. Naruto runs into Team Gai._

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* * *

  
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"How could you do that Naruto?" Shizuke demanded. "How could you manipulate me like that?" Naruto didn't answer her but rubbed his cheek, still red from the very powerful strike, he knew he shouldn't have taught her how to enhance her strikes with chakra.

"It's nice to see you to chibi-hime." He said, getting a slap to his other cheek for his troubles.

"You purposely leaked your travel plans, knowing that Jiriaya would relay them to Tsunade, and you knew that she would have you forcefully pulled back to Konoha." the raven-haired women accused him. "And you _knew_ I would come as soon as I heard you were in trouble. You used our close relationship for your gain. Why?" She finally asked. Naruto looked her in the eye.

"I will admit to leaking my itinerary and guard details for the intent to gain access to Konoha but I did not expect two squads of ANBU and nor were you supposed to come here." Naruto answered her. "At best you were supposed to send an intermediary. I didn't make you come here." He explained. Shizuke kept a look of resolute anger on her face.

"_Why_?" she asked again. Naruto sighed and indicated to Team Gai to leave them for a moment, sensing trouble the three ex-Fire Guardians filed into the servants quarters to speak with the off-duty Guardians, to catch up with old comrades. Naruto waited a moment before speaking.

"Do you remember when we visited that small village just outside the Mizu border?" He asked, Shizuke frowned but nodded, she did. "The second day we were there we visited the governor and his wife and you were angry because I wore the half-mask your father gave me?" He asked further and she nodded again, the half-mask was a stainless steel affair with a lot of stylised scripture embedded in it, seals that Naruto inscribed into it, and was still a part of his battle gear to this day.

She had been angry that Naruto would wear that thing at a formal dinner, though she was even angrier after when he had lied to the governor and his wife about why he wore it, feigning disfigurement. The only reason she wasn't, or couldn't, be angry for him using an assumed name at the time was because those were the orders of her father, to protect them both. She hadn't spoken to him for days after that, only deigning to when he threatened to starve her. "I hid my face because someone close to the governor of that town knew me, intimately, you could say." He continued cryptically. As he predicted, Shizuke asked:

"Who?" Naruto sat back down, Shizuke followed.

"The governor's wife." He answered. "She hadn't always been a civilian like she told you, she was once a proud kunoichi of a now destroyed country, not a few miles from where she resided then. She came to Konoha and got into a relationship here." He explained. "Before she married Kaiji-san she went by her maiden name, Uzumaki." Shizuke face blossomed in surprise, Naruto nodded. "Kaiji Kushina was once Namikaze Kushina and before that, Uzumaki Kushina. My mother." He finished.

* * *

Now that the..._important_ problems had been dealt with concerning Naruto's return to the village and all it seemed to entail, Tsunade now had a chance to deal with other problems, namely two members of the council who would both want an audience with Naruto for two conflicting reasons. On the one hand was Danzo, He wanted Naruto in his training program, known to some as ROOT, others The Foundation, he always had. It had been an obsession of his in Tsunade's point of view. The other was Uzumaki Kushina, who also wanted Naruto to stay, but with her. Kushina had returned to the village four years after Naruto's exile and had given a rudimentary account of her time out of Konoha but never properly explained why her first-born wasn't with her during that time, any question that directly alluded to Naruto, she ignored.

At the time Tsunade, firmly believing that Naruto would be back any day at that point, worried about what would happen when he and Kushina met, and more worryingly, when Naruto and his two younger half-siblings met. While Tsunade was never one to mince words, she found it hard to look at Kushina without look of condemnation, she had abandoned Naruto and disappeared only to return with two thirteen year old twins in tow. She had seen how Kushina doted on her children and wondered how Naruto would react and knew that it wouldn't be anywhere near favourably.

A knock on her office door knocked Tsunade out of her reverie. She straightened her clothes and quickly shuffled the papers on her desk into a neat-ish, sort of pile and hid the sake bowl in the top right hand draw of her desk before clearing her throat and speaking.

"Come in." the door opened and a single woman entered _speak of the devil_ Tsunade mentally muttered. "Hello Kushina, what can I do for you?" She asked. Kushina stood by the desk silently until Tsunade motioned towards a chair.

"I wanted to talk to you about Naruto." Kushina said. "You had a plan to get him back into the village, Hokage-sama but I think you should abandon it." Tsunade frowned and leaned forward.

"Really? And why do you think that?" Tsunade asked, carefully.

"It's obvious that he holds no love for the village, Tsunade-sama, and you are already worried about Uchiha Sasuke defecting from the village once he's out from under house arrest. Having Naruto here _and_ wondering if you won't wake up to find him gone one morning will only stress you and village resources further." Kushina explained. Tsunade looked her over critically for a second.

"Is it the village and me your worrying about Kushina, or what your _son_ will do once he knows what you did that brings you here?" She asked, Kushina's flinch said everything. "You made the choice to abandon him Kushina, how he reacts is on your head." Tsunade added.

"Even if it results in mine and my children's murder?" Kushina asked, instantly realising it was a foolish and panicky question to ask. Tsunade glared at the Uzumaki matriarch, KI included.

"When you asked for asylum within this village, I gave it to you. When you asked for lodging, I gave _that_ to you and when you asked for some work, I gave you a nice easy job within the tower; knowing that you wilfully abandoned a child and not asking for your reasons as to why." She snapped. "You went around this villages jounin and chunin and asked about Naruto; some stories were bad but a lot of them good. You heard about Naruto's selfless attitude and you seriously believe he is capable of wanton cruelty on children?" She asked incredulously. "Maybe the apple _doesn't_ fall far from the tree then." she added darkly. It was a dirty shot, but it worked.

* * *

"I wanted the chance to confront her." Naruto explained. "Ask her why she left me." He took a sip of his drink before continuing. "And while I'm here I'm going to read yours, the Kazekage's and Wind Daimyo's letters to the council and get what's rightfully mine out of this village. With luck I'll have all ties in this village completely cut by the end of the week. That gives me enough time to train my replacement before I move on from your employ." He added. Shizuke could admittedly see where he was coming from but was still angry as to how he went about it.

"You could have told me you were planning this Naruto, I would have helped you, you know that." Shizuke said. Naruto slowly shook his head.

"It was important that your letter was honest chibi-hime." Naruto answered using his nickname for her again. "Even in print, the Hokage would have sniffed out the lie." Shizuke frowned at the use of the moniker he had given her on first meeting her but accept his explanation.

"Be that as it may Naruto, I'm still punishing you for giving me this run around." Shizuke told him. Naruto kept his features schooled but inwardly grimaced, Shizuke's mother may have passed on but her little Tora-chan was still very much alive...despite an effort to the contrary on many a genin or punished Guardian's part.

"Fine, where'd the little fur ball run to now?" He asked, resignation lacing his voice.

"Who said your punishment had anything to do with little Tora-chan?" Shizuke countered, a smirk on her lips and mirth in her voice. Naruto gave her a calculating look.

"Then what's the punishment?" He asked cautiously, not liking the widening grin on his employers face, it looked too much like his own for comfort.

* * *

The next day found Naruto, Shizuke and Tsunade in the Hokage's office, discussing Naruto's 'punishment'. Shizuke had agreed to keep Naruto's role in his capture secret, after all, while she may pay Konoha for general retainer-ship, Naruto had spent the last four years protecting her from harm and teaching her, she knew where her loyalties stood.

"Naruto will be working for you until his contract with me is finished, which is about two months and two weeks. In this time he will be training his replacement in the Fire Guardians." Shizuke explained. Tsunade nodded her understanding and turned to her ex-ninja.

"Do you have anything to add Naruto?" She asked, covering her worry. She hadn't said a single word to him since he had been before the council and didn't know what his reaction would be to this situation.

"I do, Hokage-sama." He started. "First of all, my orders will only, _only_, come from you. The second the council starts to exert some kind of influence over me, I leave. Secondly There are a few missives that I would like to read at the next council meeting with regards to my inheritance and what is to be done with it. And lastly, while I'm working in the Uchiha's little parole squad, I will not be teaching any of them anything, any attempt by you, him, the team or the council to...persuade me to the contrary will be met refusal, _forceful_ refusal, understand?" He asked her, she nodded her understanding of this statement also. She pulled open a drawer on her right side and produced a scroll, which she handed to Naruto.

"This is a list of rules and regulations that Sasuke _has_ to obey if he wishes to continue breathing. You are to read that out in front of him and the team when you start watching him." She checked the clock on the opposing wall before sighing and getting up. "The council convenes in roughly thirty minutes, I have something to say to them first but I will give you some time to say what you need to when I can." She told Naruto, who signalled his understanding before falling into step behind the two leaders.

"Shizuke-sama." Shizuke signalled she had heard her subordinate and to continue. "I'm going to need my equipment." He told her, she understood immediately, he had left all his weapons and armour, save for a knife and kunai holster back at the Fire Guardians headquarters when he left for his wedding.

"They'll be here on the next coach Naruto." She answered. That was good enough for Naruto, Shizuke always did what she said she would, he'd taught her well.

* * *

Naruto looked on as Tsunade explained the...arrangement she and Shizuke had discussed concerning his continued involvement with the village, at least for the next two and a half months, but even that was too long for his liking, he really shouldn't have tried to play master-manipulator, if he hadn't he would now be happily married...all right his wife would be of Kami knows where doing Kami knows what while he would be paying his final respects the monks of various temples, he sighed, he wondered what Temari was doing right at that moment. A selfish part of him hoped she was thinking of him. Naruto forced himself back into the council room

"Namikaze-san has asked to address the council, no one is to interrupt him." Tsunade informed the council like they were all three years old. Tsunade nodded in his direction, He walked into the centre of the council floor, exactly where he had been the last time and silently pulled out a seal scroll. From the scroll he released two scrolls and a bone-white envelope bearing the wax seal of the Fire Daimyo. He placed them on a nearby table and replaced the sealing scroll back into the folds of his clothes.

"Before I begin saying what I came here to say, I want to make my position on this...deal, clear." He spoke clearly. "I don't want to be here, I can think of at least a dozen things I could be doing up to and including poking my own eyeballs out. I don't appreciate the hypocrisy of your desire to drag me back to the village and I will not be taking any crap of of anyone; be they villager, ninja, council member or even Kage." He informed them, the last sentence was punctuated with looks at a random civilian councillor, Uzumaki Kushina, a hard and obvious look at the crippled form of Danzo and finally Tsunade. Leaving a pause to get his point across, and listening to the forced stifling of objections and threats from various people in the room he picked up the envelope and slit the top with his fore-finger. He pulled out the letter inside and unfolded it. He cleared his throat then began to speak.

"I, Kurosaki Shizuki; Daimyo of Fire, Do hereby grant Namikaze Naruto clan status and clan head status within Fire country and her allies. All possessions currently held by Konohagakure no Sato are to be immediately released to the Namikaze clan head; including, but not limited to, financial resources, property, items of value technique scrolls and personal items of Namikaze Minato. I also absolve Namikaze Naruto of any wrongdoing concerning the 'Uchiha retrieval incident' and any and all restrictive punishments are hereby rescinded. Failure to follow this missive will resort in financial and political restitution." He quoted, having to shout towards the end as the council chambers, once again, erupted into a cacophony of noise. Naruto handed the letter to a nearby chunin who then handed it to the Hokage for verification.

Not waiting for Tsunade to speak, Naruto opened up the first scroll and began to to speak again.

"I Fusuka Maiji; Daimyo of Wind, do hereby recognise Namikaze as a clan and Namikaze Naruto as clan head. I grant clan Namikaze residence within Kaze no Kuni and welcome him wholeheartedly, may he and his clan help keep Wind strong." He repeated the process of handing the scroll and grabbed the next one. By now the council understood Naruto's intention; to receive every bit of his inheritance, and then take it out of Konoha and into Wind country. He smiled, a smug little smile that told them he knew that they knew. And one final time, he began to speak.

"I, Subaku no Gaara; Kazekage of Sunagakure, do hereby grant residence to clan Namikaze. I grant Namikaze Naruto the right to practice within the Suna border as a free agent. I hereby grant clan Namikaze a seat on the Suna council of Elders, the post is to be held by either Lord or Lady Namikaze at their discretion. I hereby grant clan Namikaze full protection as Suna residence from enemies both foreign and domestic." Naruto stopped there, what was left was for Tsunade's eyes only _You fucked up Tsunade_ was all it said, well, it said it in a more fanciful and coldly polite way but that was the gist of it. "I am here for two months and two weeks, you have that amount of time to relinquish all of Namikaze Minato's holdings to me." He told the room, his confidence and control swamping the room. "If I don't get it, then..." He left the threat open.

"All three missives are verified as legitimate, you will have your inheritance within a month Naruto." Tsunade interjected. He nodded.

"If you'll excuse me, I've got to prepare for babysitting duty." He said to the room but left without getting permission to leave, a confident smile graced his face

* * *

Uzumaki Kushina watched her estranged first born leave, both guilt and pride warring their way through her heart; guilt that it was clear Naruto wanted nothing to do with the village and pride in his ability to control a room. It had been an ability of Minato's; to wage war with words. Kushina new that she and Naruto would be meeting soon and she wasn't looking forward to it.

How was she supposed to tell her son that she had abandoned him just because she was told to?

* * *

**Author's note 2:**I recently got a review that pointed out that I'd spent three months inactive, for that I apologise again. I've been a little neglectful but beyond basic laziness I've been planning out another Naruto fic. It's going slowly.


	7. Seals

**A Naruto Fanfiction**

**Tempered by Spiritual Fire**

**Seals**

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.

**Summary:**Naruto was banished after the battle at the Valley of the End after bringing a comatose Uchiha Sasuke home. Cast out by those he considered family he makes his own path through life, first stop; the illustrious Fire temple, then next...who knows?

**Author's Note's:** First off I want to say thanks for not going nuts about my time away and I'll work on making my updates quicker.

The replies I've been getting about Kushina's appearance in this fic have been very...passionate. It seems quite a few of you don't like it and one person more or less demanded I rewrite the whole chapter without her in it. The whole crux of the matter seems to be that you all believe that A)She would never abandon Naruto, the whole mother/child 'bond' thing and B)She would always be hung up on Minato.

My question to this is...Why? Not every mother 'bonds' with her child, it's called Post Natal Depression, usually it only last a few days but It can last longer than that and to some extreme as well including depression(The clues in the name!), anger and exhaustion. And sometimes people _do_ move on when they have lost a loved one, not every person in the Naruto universe can get hung up on their 'one true love' surely? Everything I've read about Kushina says that she would have the strength to move on and find someone new, not everyone would take Tsunade's emotionally destructive route.

The griping aside, Kushina was planned to be in this fic from the start, the only deciding factor in this would be whether she would be in Konohagakure or not, I needed an emotional reason for Naruto to risk his own future to go back to Konoha, and Money or Loyalty did not fit.

That aside I will personally thank OnGuard for his continued reading despite the fact he doesn't like what I've done with Hinata, as well as several other die-hard NaruHina fans who also continued reading.

**Previously:**_ Naruto comes clean about his reasons for willingly coming to Konoha, including his mother's continued survival, and his employer in a brief spate of vengeance orders Naruto to stay within Konoha to work on the parole detail of one Uchiha Sasuke..._

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Naruto sat at the desk in what was officially Shizuke's study as he read Yamanaka Inoichi's psychological profile on his charge as well as the whole parole squad, it paid to be in the know.

After Uchiha Sasuke's attempted defection Tsunade had instituted mandatory annual psychological for all active and recently retired ninja, up to and including herself. The problem Naruto faced now was that as much as he had matured, if there was one thing he hated beyond a passion it was unnecessary reading like reports, especially ones that contained jargon he didn't know like the psych reports in front of him. The annoyance was further impacted by the fact that there was a short summary at the end of the reports that did nothing more than...well, summarize what the report said but in a plain, easy to read language. The only thing that stood out in their files was the fact that Sakura had not been to see Sasuke once; not in prison and not while he was under house arrest, even going so far as to disobey a direct order from the council on the matter. Naruto flicked back through her file until he got to a small paragraph from Tsunade that explained the incident.

Apparently the council had been discussing the possible breeding of the Uchiha's much-coveted Kekkai Genkai and both Ino and Sakura's names came up in the discussion. Sakura, who was attending as Tsunade's aide, had lost her temper and told the council that if she _were_ forced to go see him she would 'rip off the traitor's nuts and make him eat them'. Naruto smiled at that, it seemed her apprenticeship under the Fifth had done her a world of good, pity he wouldn't be seeing any kind of benevolence or open-mindedness from her.

He put the files back into the manilla envelope he had been given with hem in and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from the recesses in the desk and began to plan out everything he would need to ensure that Sasuke wouldn't be leaving his tender care any time soon.

* * *

It had only been a day since the council meeting to affirm Naruto's brief position within the village, with the emphasis on 'brief', and they were already making discrete plays for his loyalties, a few of the clans had sent messages asking for him to attend some family functions, he had had to send negative replies as several of the heirs would most likely act out upon seeing him, though he did send an invite with the replies for lunch at the daimyo's residence and dated them for today, he wondered if anyone would actually show; the only reply so far had been Kakashi as Naruto had to cancel their previous dinner plans. If Naruto was honest with himself he hoped that the clans wouldn't come, he had no desire to use what little diplomatic tact he had to play nice with the clan heads, despite the fact that he actually like a couple of them, to a degree...sort of.

* * *

Naruto leaned back on his chair, his back creaking in harmony with the chair legs as he did so. He looked back down his now completed list which was mostly an equipment list, which he would shortly transcribe into a letter for acquisitions and Tsunade, in duplicate, but four of the items were names of fuin jutsu.

Fuin jutsu was an esoteric art with a strange twist, anyone could do the basic low level stuff; basic storage seals and some people could easily copy average seals given the time but it took skill and dedication to create new seals and connect existing seals into new combinations. The definitions were fairly simple to understand, a seal Master creates seals, a Specialist, like Naruto, took what already existed and figured out new ways to use them, something Naruto was already inclined to do anyway when it had come to ninjutsu.

* * *

Lunchtime came and went, only Kakashi had turned up. Right now the pair were sitting within the Daimyo's garden, a drink in hand, chatting and watching the rest of the day go by. So far talk had been on minor things like the weather but pretty soon it turned to the pairs respective actions over the last seven years, instigated by Kakashi telling him about Sasuke's imprisonment and later his house arrest, Naruto, in turn, discussed his first three years in the Fire temple.

"The first year I was there was all about the basics; chakra control, taijutsu, bojutsu and basic sealing. At first I complained and boasted that I was better than that, but they quickly humbled me." He told his old sensei. At the questioning look Naruto explained further. "They pitted me in a spar against a ten year old acolyte, I lost...badly." He caught the Amused look in Kakashi's eye. "After that I learned anything they gave me, humble pie never was my favourite food after all and I'd been served it quite brilliantly."

The second year, after I'd proved my proficiency in what I had been taught in the first year, was all about chakra manipulation. Since I couldn't use hand seals any more it was harder as I had to find something else to focus my chakra and the first couple of months were just pure meditation." He took a sip of his dark coloured drink before continued. "My last year was an intensive education in seals and sealing methods, but even though I trained and learn extensively for a year I never attained the masters level." He downed the rest of his drink. "At worst I'm considered a seal expert and at best, a specialist." He finished. "After the third year it was becoming clear that my future was not within the Temple of Fire and I made my own way, which lead me to the daimyo's court." Kakashi assimilated the information, all-in-all it wasn't much, just an overview if a three year training regimen, though one thing stuck in his mind.

"You say that your considered a Seal Specialist at best, how are fuinjutsu users graded anyway?" He asked, he knew a couple of Fuin jutsu, enough to get by but was no where near even Naruto seemingly low level. Naruto picked up a glass decanter from a nearby tray and refilled his tumbler.

"Well, at the bottom you have seal users, like you and any knowledgeable ANBU; you can accurately remember specific seals that you have looked up and learned, usually universally recognised seals like exploding tags and basic sealing scrolls. Then you have the experts; they know every standardized and/or published seal in existence and can accurately reproduce them. Specialist are basically Experts who know how to...'marry' existing seals together to make new seals or bolster existing seals like the one you and Haruno stole from the daimyo." Kakashi winced at that, he'd heard in a round-about way that the seal he had taken from the daimyo's personal vaults was a seal created by one of his students.

"About that Naruto..." He tried to apologise

"...And then you have the Master level." He continued, as if Kakashi hadn't spoken. "Seal Masters not only know every standard seal and how to connect them together to like a Specialist but they are also knowledgeable enough in the finer points of fuinjutsu that they can create entirely original seals using the basic Kanji and pictographs used in seals." He instructed, Naruto had once been complemented on his good teaching skills; he had taught Shizuke about world politics after all, as well as other things.

There was an extra grading system when it came to seals that was only kept among those 'in the know' and that was the grade systems known as 'Tools Used'. The most basic and easiest TU was standard paper and ink to tree bark and blood to metal and blood and finally to skin with a mix of ink and blood, the mark of a true master. There were separate grades within each of the main grades as even the slightest difference in pulp changed the quality of the paper used and changed the outcome of say; an exploding tag. "There aren't that many existing 'Master' level people left, shinobi or otherwise, which in my mind is a good thing." Naruto added.

"How can you say that Naruto?" Kakashi asked, disbelief evident in his only showing eye. Naruto looked at his old teacher and smiled a sad smile.

"Quite easily Kakashi, Fuinjutsu is both a fine art and terrible weapon; I've seen seals used to keep erosion at bay on the only surviving bust of the Rikudo Sennin, as long as there is chakra in the seal that piece of art _will_ last for a thousand lifetimes, but I've also seen seals that destroy a person mind, literally erase a persons entire existence in the space of heartbeat. The preservation seal was created by Chiruku-sama when he was an expert, at fourteen, and the mind destroying seal was invented by Suna's first, and last, Seal expert. She was hailed as a prodigy when Chiruku-sama was told to grow up." Naruto explained. "Seal masters only ever seem to create destructive seals." Naruto added wistfully.

* * *

Naruto gazed out of the bay window into the compounds garden, yesterday had been awkward after Naruto had let his opinion on Seal Masters slip, Kakashi near idolised the Yondaime after all and hearing his only son talk about him negatively in any way was guaranteed to put a dampener on the afternoon.

The chime of the doorbell took Naruto away from his musings, he made the small trek to the front door quietly. He opened the large oak door to reveal three people: Aburame Shino, Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura. He stared at the three four a moment, sizing them up.

"Yes?" He huffed. No one answered him for a moment before Lee piped up.

"Hokage-sama gave us our new assignment this morning and told us to come to you for our debriefing." Lee answered him in an unusually came attitude. Naruto remained where he was for the moment, sizing the other two up; Shino looked completely neutral, no emotion or physical nuance showed on his person anywhere, something Naruto had always thought impossible, Sakura, on the other hand, looked like he would expect her too, like she didn't want to be there.

"Before I allow you two into this house you will be told the rules: First, no violence in any part of the house except the training ground. Second, You will keep you attitudes at the door, I don't want either of you spouting any bullshit around me." He pointedly looked at Sakura for the second rule. "And lastly, you are guests in Daimyo-sama's residence, _act_ like it. Any breach of these _very_ simple rules will result in me...forcibly vacating you from the premises, understand?" At their signs of assent he opened the door further and beckoned them in.

* * *

Naruto waited until the three ninja were seated at the table with a drink before seating himself and pouring out a tumbler of his chosen liquor and rolling out the scroll before him.

"Your Hokage wanted me to read this scroll out to you but I don't feel like repeating myself twice so the actual reading will be done tomorrow evening when we begin this stupid charade." He started. "Basically your job is to watch over Uchiha Sasuke and insure that he doesn't attempt to break the villages laws in anyway; punishment will be meted out by us, by order of your Hokage." He told them. "You three were chosen for specific reasons; Lee, you have shown an ability to beat Uchiha before and can easily do it again. Aburame-san is here for his chakra draining abilities and his Logical outlook, Haruno is here because she also has the ability to overpower Uchiha as well as initially volunteering for this job." He stated.

"And what about you Naruto, why are you here?" Sakura asked him, a hostile edge to her voice. Naruto's lips curled up slightly.

"I'm here because Like lee, I have beaten Sasuke, Like Aburame-san I can act without emotion but most of all, I'm here doing this stupid job because when, _not if_, when Uchiha steps out of line." He took a sip of his drink before continuing. "I won't hesitate to kill him."

* * *

Naruto had never gotten the hang of political double speak, it took tact, something Naruto was sure he would never have but even with all the crap Tsunade had spouted about his need to return he knew that she brought him back simply because she wanted him back; whether it was from guilt, some problem she was facing or even just to rub the fact she could pull that crap in his face didn't matter, she had done it. Not that the reason mattered, once his tenure with the government of Fire country was over he was gone, he had a contract waiting for him in Spring country, Koyuki-sama wanted some seal work done and had decided he was the one to do it.

The plan had always been that he would stop over in Suna for his wedding, which was in the crapper for the moment, then head to the Fire temple to inform Chiruku that he was no longer a monk of his temple and then head around the various temples to inform them of his...retirement? Was that the right word to use? Who knew? After that he would head back to Fire country to train his replacement, something that, considering the candidate, wouldn't be that hard. Once that was done he would travel to Spring country for a month then Kumo for two on another contract, then Kusa, Kiba and Tea before stopping in Tanzuku Gai to see an old friend before finally taking up his job with Gaara.

But now that was all irrelevant.

So the new plan was fulfil all current contracts and then play the rest by ear, good plan....

All this Naruto mused while he half listened to the three Konoha nin discuss their ideas about insuring Uchiha Sasuke doesn't escape,rape kill, etc, well, mainly Sakura and Lee. Naruto didn't care, as far as he was concerned Shino, who was slated for his jounin rank within the next month or so, would be taking over for him so only he would be the one Naruto passed any orders to. It sounded callous and in a way it was, but Naruto had been within a strange command structure for the last few years and didn't know how to work in a ninja cell any more, if he even ever did to begin with. He heard a lull in the conversation and decided to insert himself into the discussion.

* * *

"Ahem". Naruto coughed, the three nin stopped talking and waited for him to continue. "While this discussion is enlightening your ideas won't work, no matter how much merit they have." He looked at Lee. "We can't tie the Uchiha to a hobble Lee, he's expected to work for the village and, as funny as it would be to watch, having Sasuke hobbled as he chased Tora-chan would cost the village in time and money...and possibly foliage and livestock too." Shino next. "Likewise for draining most of his chakra, it would keep him docile but he's needed for active service, unfortunately." And Sakura lastly. "And finally, Haruno, Chakra cuffs just wouldn't work, while there _is_ the restrictive aspect of them chakra cuffs also need a safe way to disperse the chakra they leech which would be impossible on a mobile detainee." Naruto reached into his clothes and pulled out a scroll and unrolled it into the middle of the table, on it where various seals. "This is how we will restrain the Uchiha but I will need you permission for one of them." Naruto pointed to a block of seals furthest away from him, separated by a thick black line from the rest of the scroll. "All those are to be applied to Sasuke's skin, what they are, are; tracking/location seals, chakra restraining seals and suicide seals connected to explosive seals." He then pointed to the rest, two seals connected to each other copied four times. "This seal will help you locate the Uchiha should he flee and, when activated, detonate the suicide seal." He looked at his current team. "I need permission from each of you as this seal _has_ to go on your skin, on the underside of your right fore-arm just before your wrist, it's the easiest place to reach." They each gave their permission before Sakura pointed to the final two seals.

"And what are these for Naruto?" She asked politely. Naruto rolled the scroll up as he answered her.

"Those are a work in progress for a client." He answered primly. "Now, tomorrow I will apply those seals on you and that will give us about a day to recover before we take on the detainee." He secreted the scroll back into his clothing. "Do see yourselves out I have to get some things prepared for the arrival of Daimyo-sama's coach tomorrow." The three nin filed out of the dining room and back down the ornate hall, Naruto didn't move until he heard the door close. He stood up and made his way to the study, he opened the door to reveal a topless kunoichi facing away from him. He walked around to the desk, reached into his clothes, pulled out the scroll and unrolled it onto the desk.

"I'm sorry about the interruption but my team decided to have a little pow wow." He took a brush and an ink well filled with a reddish brown ink and turned back to the woman, she had gathered and hugged her legs up to protect her modesty, something Naruto didn't mind but knew Jiraiya would have complained about, Her hair was a deep purple and had been pinned up so the end of her shoulder length hair lazily spiked up at the back of her head. "Now, where were we Miterashi-san?" Naruto asked the snake kunoichi. She didn't get a chance to answer. "Ah yes, replacing the purification and suppression seals on that curse mark." He walked back around and began to write the seals on her back in the ruddy ink, starting at the top of the curse seal and working his way clockwise and out, when he was done the seal covered the whole of Anko's torso and a foot of the wooden floor around her. "brace yourself Anko, this will hurt." He warned as he placed his hand directly over the curse seal and began to pump chakra into it, Anko screamed


End file.
